Lately, there's been a lot of talk about AI taking over the front desk, specifically those ringing phones. The promise is tempting: efficiency, no hold times, and a bottom line that looks a lot cleaner. But what are we trading away for that efficiency?
Think about it, do we really want our guests talking to robots so we have more free time to talk to robots? Sounds insane.
Automating guests' interactions means turning connection into a transaction. Connection happens in the details, the slight softening in a voice; that silence that tells us the guest is still "not too sure" about something; the shared laugh; the "I've got you."
Even in written interactions through OTAs. That guest texting and deleting. Those subtle signs of hesitation or discomfort.
Yes, AI will probably become better and better in detecting human emotions, voice tones, and literally everything. We can certainly give it the "Skill of Empathy."
But, imagine that 70-year-old guest calling to talk with a real person to get some guidance on how to use the Smart TV to watch the Super Bowl. We need a human voice.
AI will probably repeat a script that the guest read already, but for some reason couldn't understand. A customer service agent will probably get frustrated trying to solve the issue remotely. Feeling the pressure. But not leaving that guest alone. Making him feel seen and heard. Maybe saying, "I don't know exactly what's going on, those remotes are tricky. But rest assured that we will figure it out." Yeah, it's messy. But the agent will be there. Present. Understanding the guest frustration in real time. Being creative. Being helpful. Empathy isn't just solving a problem; it's the brave choice to be with someone in their frustration.
It's for those moments that we call this business Hospitality. If we don't like dealing with people, this business isn't for us. Hospitality is a practice of the heart. Yes, taking calls can be a pain. It's unpredictable. It's vulnerable. But that is exactly where the value lies.
Hospitality lives in the Unknown. The front desk agent who hears a kid crying in the background of a call, and decides to have cookies waiting in the room. That isn't a data-driven decision; it's a heart-driven one. You can't code for "going above and beyond" because that requires a level of intuition that only exists in the arena of human interaction.
Maybe they're traveling for a funeral. Maybe they're proposing and they're terrified. An algorithm can process a request, but it cannot witness a human emotion.
Let the robots handle the reports. Let the AI schedule the social media posts and manage the vendor sales. That's the "back office" of our lives. But when it comes to the front line, the literal telephone and inbox line, we have to set a boundary. We have to decide what is sacred.
Let's keep it real. Hospitality is a practice of being seen. Let's not let the robots do the looking.
People need people.
<3
MJ
