--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You never saw people anymore, everything…" description: "\"“You never saw people anymore, everything was self-service, everybody behind glass windows. And you could not get a real person on the phone. Everywher..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/fannie-flagg-3065_real-person_you-never-saw-people-anymore-everything_1798516.png" --- # You never saw people anymore, everything was self-service… ![“You never saw people anymore, everything was self-service, everybody behind glass windows. And you could not get a real person on the phone. Everywhere you called, a recorded message connected you to another recorded message and then hung up on you.” quote by Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/fannie-flagg-3065_real-person_you-never-saw-people-anymore-everything_1798516.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/fannie-flagg-3065_real-person_you-never-saw-people-anymore-everything_1798516.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/855/fannie-flagg-3065_real-person_you-never-saw-people-anymore-everything_1798516.png) > ““You never saw people anymore, everything was self-service, everybody behind glass windows. And you could not get a real person on the phone. Everywhere you called, a recorded message connected you to another recorded message and then hung up on you.”” [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote critiques modern impersonal service, highlighting loss of human interaction and reliance on automated systems. **In simple terms:** Modern services feel cold and automated. Key Takeaway Seek personal connections despite automation. Themes technology isolation customer service Mood frustrated nostalgic Type observational critical When to use this quote - calling customer support - online shopping - banking - travel booking Key Concepts automation dehumanization social alienation Questions to Reflect On - How can businesses balance efficiency with human touch? - What personal interactions do you miss most? A Different Perspective Automation can improve efficiency but may erode trust and empathy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Called Recorded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/called-recorded-2011834/) [Person Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/person-phone-304660/) [Phone Called](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phone-called-2011832/) [Real person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-person/) [Recorded Message](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recorded-message-2011833/) [Self service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-service/) ## Related quotes > [“A pre-recorded message, timed to go off just as the crowd was reaching a fever pitch. A way to get them to take that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-krook/a-pre-recorded-message-timed-to-go-off-just-as-the-crowd-was-reaching/) [Joshua Krook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-krook/) > [It was Eric's voice not Simon's, on the recorded message. “Ladies, ladies ” he said. Though it was the millionth time she’d heard the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/it-was-eric-s-voice-not-simon-s-on-the-recorded-message-ladies-ladies/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“I’ll be back,” he said and walked out the door without waiting for Margot’s response. He pulled out his phone and called Sebastian. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andria-large/i-ll-be-back-he-said-and-walked-out-the-door-without-waiting-for/) [Andria Large](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andria-large/) > [“I needed to call him or my parents. Immediately. I rolled my eyes. Couldn't have been that important, because you'd think one of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-lynn/i-needed-to-call-him-or-my-parents-immediately-i-rolled-my-eyes/) [J. Lynn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-lynn/) > [My father-in-law saw me at a dance performance. The next day, I got a phone call, and the caller said, 'I'm Dhirubhai Ambani... may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/my-father-in-law-saw-me-at-a-dance-performance-the-next-day-i-got-a/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [I will never forget the day in Washington when I met John Lewis by phone when he called me to ask about something. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-o-donnell/i-will-never-forget-the-day-in-washington-when-i-met-john-lewis-by/) [Lawrence O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-o-donnell/) > [Even after we fight and I don't want to talk to you, I still check my phone to see if you called or texted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendrick-cole/even-after-we-fight-and-i-don-t-want-to-talk-to-you-i-still-check-my/) [Kendrick Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendrick-cole/) > [I'm the person who Always has my phone in my hands, my headphones in my ears, and that one special person on my mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/i-m-the-person-who-always-has-my-phone-in-my-hands-my-headphones-in/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [I'm not going to give some person who's behind their phone the power to make me feel a certain way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/auston-matthews/i-m-not-going-to-give-some-person-who-s-behind-their-phone-the-power/) [Auston Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/auston-matthews/) > [The kinda person to call your phone and ask for another unknown person. You say he's got the wrong number then he says, oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epifania-savea/the-kinda-person-to-call-your-phone-and-ask-for-another-unknown/) [Epifania Savea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epifania-savea/) > [Every person with a phone is a critic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/farah-khan/every-person-with-a-phone-is-a-critic/) [Farah Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/farah-khan/) > [I'm the person that always has my PHONE in my HANDS, HEADPHONES in my EARS, and that one SPECIAL PERSON on MY MIND.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-siso/i-m-the-person-that-always-has-my-phone-in-my-hands-headphones-in-my/) [Jerome\_siso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-siso/) > [There are times ... when any visitor - in person, by phone, by mail - is an intruder, a burglar, a space hogger, an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-cade-bambara/there-are-times-when-any-visitor-in-person-by-phone-by-mail-is-an/) [Toni Cade Bambara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-cade-bambara/) > [I went to a massage parlor, it was self service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-dangerfield/i-went-to-a-massage-parlor-it-was-self-service/) [Rodney Dangerfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rodney-dangerfield/) > [I'm stranded all alone in the gas station of love, and I have to use the self service pump.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-stranded-all-alone-in-the-gas-station-of-love-and-i-have-to-use/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Fannie Flagg > [“Oh it don't make no kind of sense. Big ol' ox like Grady won't sit next to a colored child. But he eats eggs-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/oh-it-don-t-make-no-kind-of-sense-big-ol-ox-like-grady-won-t-sit-next/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lately, it had been an endless procession of long, black nights and gray mornings, when her sense of failure swept over her like a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lately-it-had-been-an-endless-procession-of-long-black-nights-and/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“The little girl knew if she bit any member of her family, they would get rabies too, and she died without ever having been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/the-little-girl-knew-if-she-bit-any-member-of-her-family-they-would/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Albert and I would spend hours and hours looking at them. Cleo had this big magnifying glass on his desk, and we'd find centipedes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/albert-and-i-would-spend-hours-and-hours-looking-at-them-cleo-had/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [There Lives More Faith in Honest Doubt, Believe Me, Than Half the Creeds. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/there-lives-more-faith-in-honest-doubt-believe-me-than-half-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Harris had done exactly what he had been told to do by the sexy dame from Oklahoma. After he had removed all of his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/harris-had-done-exactly-what-he-had-been-told-to-do-by-the-sexy-dame/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“he surprised her by signing, “You are the most beautiful girl in the world.” Ander didn’t know it, but he had signed, “You are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/he-surprised-her-by-signing-you-are-the-most-beautiful-girl-in-the/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Because, honey," she said, "after you've been to the moon, where else is there to go?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/because-honey-she-said-after-you-ve-been-to-the-moon-where-else-is/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Hello... is this Mrs. Fritzi Bevins?' 'Yes, it is.' 'From Pulaski, Wisconsin?' 'Yes.' 'Uh... you don't know me, but I recently received some papers.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/hello-is-this-mrs-fritzi-bevins-yes-it-is-from-pulaski-wisconsin-yes/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Lenore had pushed her into had been a complete disaster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/lenore-had-pushed-her-into-had-been-a-complete-disaster/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [Face it girls. I'm older and I have more insurance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/face-it-girls-i-m-older-and-i-have-more-insurance/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“I hate a book that jumps around. Also I can promise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/i-hate-a-book-that-jumps-around-also-i-can-promise/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Remember, if people talk behind your back, it only that you are two steps ahead of them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/remember-if-people-talk-behind-your-back-it-only-that-you-are-two/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [“Depression years come back to me now as the happy times, even though we were all struggling. We were happy and didn't know it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/depression-years-come-back-to-me-now-as-the-happy-times-even-though/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) > [One gal drank a can of floor wax and topped it off with a cup of Clorox, trying to separate herself from the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-flagg/one-gal-drank-a-can-of-floor-wax-and-topped-it-off-with-a-cup-of/) [Fannie Flagg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) [Explore all 137 Fannie Flagg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-flagg/) ## More Real person quotes > [“No one had ever left me so simultaneously relaxed and knotted up all at once (except maybe Rhett Butler, which doesn't count since he's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cecily-white/no-one-had-ever-left-me-so-simultaneously-relaxed-and-knotted-up-all/) [Cecily White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cecily-white/) > [I like to play people that are real, a real person, and then something that's interesting with that person. I think it's a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/devon-bostick/i-like-to-play-people-that-are-real-a-real-person-and-then-something/) [Devon Bostick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/devon-bostick/) > [At some point, you have to disconnect, if the obsession with playing a real person gets in the way of the movie at large.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-edgerton/at-some-point-you-have-to-disconnect-if-the-obsession-with-playing-a/) [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) > [“Rex has never been unkind to me intentionally. It's just that he isn't a real person at all; he's just a few faculties of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evelyn-waugh/rex-has-never-been-unkind-to-me-intentionally-it-s-just-that-he-isn-t/) [Evelyn Waugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evelyn-waugh/) > [In the beginning, people watched me to hate on me. They thought Miranda was a real person. People just couldn't understand why this strange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-ballinger/in-the-beginning-people-watched-me-to-hate-on-me-they-thought-miranda/) [Colleen Ballinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-ballinger/) > [“The watching feeling is getting worse. I am not an experiment. I am not a stupid joke, or a trippy game, or an experiment.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenni-fagan/the-watching-feeling-is-getting-worse-i-am-not-an-experiment-i-am-not/) [Jenni Fagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenni-fagan/) > [“Some people are just having a misfire of judgment or control. But other people are letting you see a bit of the rotten person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alessandra-torre/some-people-are-just-having-a-misfire-of-judgment-or-control-but/) [Alessandra Torre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alessandra-torre/) > [That to me is what my idea of film acting should be. There shouldn't be any acting. You should just be watching a real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-caine/that-to-me-is-what-my-idea-of-film-acting-should-be-there-shouldn-t/) [Michael Caine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-caine/) > [Smile may be of different style,but that which adorns the face of a real person is only an honest ONE.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/smile-may-be-of-different-style-but-that-which-adorns-the-face-of-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You cant call a relationshp real,if its only one person struggling to keep it real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/you-cant-call-a-relationshp-real-if-its-only-one-person-struggling-to/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [I want people to know that I'm a real person, and that I've been through normal situations, like crushes and heartbreaks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-tisdale/i-want-people-to-know-that-i-m-a-real-person-and-that-i-ve-been/) [Ashley Tisdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-tisdale/) > [“You can almost always find chains of coincidence to disprove magic. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-yiannopoulos/it-s-as-if-a-psychological-norm-is-being-established-whereby-comments/) [Milo Yiannopoulos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-yiannopoulos/) [Browse all 410 Real person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“You never saw people anymore, everything was self-service, everybody behind glass windows. And you could not get a real person on the phone. 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