I get tired of yelling "representative" into the phone. Sometimes, I believe my problems are so complicated I couldn't possibly use an automated machine, I need a person! I could be totally wrong, but when I make a phone call I want to talk to a person.

I don’t think I’m alone in this. In fact, I find people want one thing out of all brands: hospitality.

People want hospitality from companies. As transactions increase in speed and quantity, companies are decreasingly human, friendly, and generous. They focus less on human-to-human interactions and supplant them with either reduced face time or increased technology. I am not trying to argue whether technology or humans are better...but there are certain realities:

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) is helpful.

• Efficiency make life easier.

• Humans create truly emotional experiences.

Customers want all of that to come together so that brands are less transactional and more emotional.

This is why I believe that the most successful companies are those that are able to layer hospitality on top of their transactions to create truly human moments.

There are three great ways to bring hospitality into your company's customer experience.

1. Ensure IT understands your values

2. Question your existing touchpoints

3. Be a human

Ensure IT understands your values

Your technology teams need to understand the company's values. This allows them to create technology that is demonstrative of the mission. If technology exists as its own silo, it risks falling out of line with the overall vision of the brand. Moreover, the minds of the technology department may have innovative ways to weave your values into the user experience (UX). Let them be creative and design your tech around your culture. This is what creates hospitality in a digital space. What you don't want is technology devoid of values. That will risk your entire tech experience not being in sync with your vision.

Pro tip: Host cultural programming for your technology teams and let them experience your culture and hospitality first hand.

Question your existing touchpoints

A touchpoint is an opportunity to connect with a customer. When you review your brand's touchpoints...what does it feel like? Did you feel seen? Heard? Taken care of? Be a customer and experience it! Notice when you want a human or when you want tech. Do you need to hear a real voice? Could technology better handle the nuance of this transaction? Also, consider rewording emails, and AI bots, to blur the human / technology divide. I always think of Chase Card Services here. When I call their number, I can make a payment over the phone and never talk to a human. That type of transaction is more efficient without a human. However, if I need to talk to someone, I can select another option and connect to a representative. This is how we can parse our touchpoints and understand whether you need a person or technology for the interaction. Just don't rest on your historical customer journey. Start to test it again and see how you can deliver a human experience fueled by technology.

Pro tip: You aren’t every customer, use existing voice of customer (VOC) data to understand what people are already saying about their journey.

Be a human

Humans are irrational. We make wild decisions. We feel love and pain. The emotions that we feel need to be a part of the work experience. If we want to bring hospitality to customer service, then our employees need to be allowed to be humans. They need to know that we support and value them. If we, ourselves, are authentic at work and lead with the company’s values, then we set the right example for our team. Moreover, they will know that they have the latitude to go above and beyond for customers...even if it is outside of the rulebook. We want employees who can transgress standards to create incredible experiences for customers. That happens when employees are acutely aware of their freedom. So take the time to be a human and get to know your team.

Pro tip: Treat humans like humans and technology like technology. Humans aren’t always going to be perfect and that’s OK.

During the coronavirus quarantine, we really saw what happens with reduced human interactions. Smart brands are going to be able to realize that hospitality isn't just "nice" but a required part of customer service. True hospitality and caring for people will need to be present in all client, patient, customer, or guest journeys. Review your tech, go through your touchpoints, and lead authentically. Then you can cultivate a brand that fulfills your customers needs and hearts.

Have you started to think in terms of hospitality instead of customer service? Let me know! @zjellson