I've tried sharpening knives a few times in my life and I've never been able to tell the difference. I agree with the principle, but in practice I simply haven't witnessed it matter.
Unsharp knives cut well enough, and I would assume that people's knife skills and/or cooking skills may not notice the difference.
Do you follow a mise en place approach to cooking?
[citation needed]
It's more that sharpening a knife - like many other skills - takes practice.
i would recommend anyone sending their knives to a professional for sharpening -- you will feel much more confident cutting, and everything will be safer.
Now, sharpening is a bit of a different story but also totally achievable with a little investment (money for some stone(s) and time for practice). But you're right, if you cannot be bothered to do that yourself, it's definitely better to have your knives sharpened professionally than to use dull knives in the kitchen.