Why There Still Needs to Be a Focus on Humanity in Hospitality

Restaurants turn to artificial intelligence and robotics to combat labor shortage. Here’s how that can hurt business long term.

Record numbers of Americans have quit their jobs during this pandemic. The restaurant industry still remains among the most understaffed.

Recent data released by the National Restaurant Association shows that 4 in 5 restaurants are short-staffed. The shortage is predicted to continue for years to come. So these solutions may help in some ways short term but experts predict the positive results won’t last long term.

The guest experience suffers without the emotional aspect. This isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon. For years, Roberta Nedry, president of GEM Journal has mused about the impact of artificial intelligence in the hospitality industry:

The issue of today’s tremendous innovations and applications of technology in so many arenas, including hospitality is; how are the humans who direct, support or manage that technology doing when all does not go smoothly and how are they using their “biology” to do things the computers and software can not do? – Roberta Nedry, president of GEM Journal

Robots are cold

Guest experience starts with emotion and behavior. Artificial intelligence removes humanity from hospitality. People can’t relate emotionally to something that doesn’t feel emotions. AI doesn’t feel senses.

Yes, we can help expedite service with technology. However, life is not perfect and when a customer needs assistance there’s nothing worse than a disengaged customer service agent. Now imagine it’s lifeless, too.

“As technology continues to inspire new ways to interact and support guest preferences and needs, so should the humans behind that technology,” Nedry said. “Hospitality heroes should continue to inspire and reinforce ways to interact and support guest preferences and needs to complement and enhance not compete or disengage with that technology.”

Hospitality heroes can save the day when an experience goes wrong

A study sponsored by Cornell University called “Personalizing Guest Experience Through Technology” tackled this philosophy back in 2015.

The study’s author concluded that even with the rise of self-serve kiosks, apps for check-in, and other technological use in hotels and restaurants – there still needs to be humans.

Training employees to give the best service possible involves relating to guests. That involves asking personal questions, learning about guests, and developing a relationship.

Communication and sensory touchpoints create an experience. When the experience is negative, guests are more likely to never return. On the other hand, positive experience leads to return business and customer loyalty.

“Customer desire will remain and real humans, not machines, handle desire better! Humans use language, intuition and emotion to add the personal touch to all the technology,” Nedry says. “Artificial intelligence is just that – artificial. Use people to make an authentic difference and perceptual intelligence.”

That’s why Nedry recommends finding a balance between technology and humanity in your business. There is equally no denying the power of technological advances to streamline service as much as human interaction to create a wonderful experience.

“Be wary of artificial intelligence, which replaces authentic human interaction,” Nedry says. “Ensure they are a team. Inspire wonderful guest experiences along with new technologies and innovations by training employees to rush guests to when needed.”