Is Biden’s “Time is Money” Initiative the Answer to Customer Service Woes?

President Joe Biden is on a mission to save Americans from the dreaded customer service nightmares they know too well. With his new “Time is Money” initiative, he’s tackling the pesky frustrations that make customers groan every time we need to cancel a subscription or get a real person on the phone.

At the center of Biden’s plan is a rule introduced by the FTC that aims to make canceling subscriptions as easy as signing up for them. For example, a gym membership one never uses? Instead of jumping through hoops to cancel, Biden wants them to click just a couple of buttons—just like when you signed up in a moment of ambition.

White House Domestic Policy Adviser Neera Tanden summed it up perfectly: “You sign up in two clicks, but canceling feels like a never-ending saga.” Biden’s goal is to bring an end to those painful hold times and the endless loops of automated menus. Imagine pressing a single button and, voilà, you’re speaking to a real human being. It’s like a dream come true!

In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Biden vented his own frustrations, saying he’s tired of seeing hardworking Americans get the runaround. He’s pushing for rules that would put an end to these “doom loops” of customer service madness.

And while this might sound like something out of a futuristic utopia, it’s actually closer to reality than you might think. Biden’s initiative even mirrors predictions that the EU might one day give consumers the “right to talk to a human.” Looks like the U.S. is getting a head start!

But, as with all things political, it’s worth keeping an eye on the upcoming elections—these changes could be reversed if the political winds shift.

A recent study from the UK revealed that people are spending way too much time on annoying tasks like canceling subscriptions—45 minutes a week, to be exact. That’s 1.5 days a year spent on what they call “brandmin.” Biden’s plan aims to reclaim that lost time, making life just a little bit easier (and saving a few bucks in the process).

Now, will this actually happen? Who knows! But it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on. It might just mean a whole new set of challenges (and maybe even some new opportunities) for us in the customer service world.

So, what do you think? Will this initiative actually make a difference for customers? Or is it just another political promise? Let’s chat in the comments and see what we think! And hey, maybe we can even use this as a chance to brainstorm some ways to make our own customer service even better!