Firstly: By the time your organisation is big enough that nobody will bat an eyelid at buying a $4000 gadget, it’s big enough you’ve got several buildings with several floors. Probably some doors too.
So you don’t need one robot, you need ten. And if it works really well and it’s a big hit? One per floor won’t be enough.
Secondly: The expense and maintenance burden fall on the recipient of calls, but most of the benefit is to the person making the call.
I benefit as the caller, as I can trundle over to someone's desk and interrupt them - but the benefit to them as the recipient is much more indirect.
Thirdly: Pre-pandemic, a lot of video call stuff was pretty unreliable, making the expense of a robot a risky matter. Post-pandemic, far fewer people are in a physical office - it's not like there are important in-office meetings that only have a single remote attendee.
So you don’t need one robot, you need ten. And if it works really well and it’s a big hit? One per floor won’t be enough.
Secondly: The expense and maintenance burden fall on the recipient of calls, but most of the benefit is to the person making the call.
I benefit as the caller, as I can trundle over to someone's desk and interrupt them - but the benefit to them as the recipient is much more indirect.
Thirdly: Pre-pandemic, a lot of video call stuff was pretty unreliable, making the expense of a robot a risky matter. Post-pandemic, far fewer people are in a physical office - it's not like there are important in-office meetings that only have a single remote attendee.