One commonly cited drawback of an AI-powered Virtual Assistant is the absence of a human touch that some believe can only be experienced in human-to-human interactions. At Be Customer Smart, we believe that the human touch in the traditional customer service is way overrated and often misunderstood by clients and hospitality luxury service providers alike.
Definition of 'the human touch'
According to an online Oxford dictionary the human touch is 'a friendly and pleasant way of treating other people that makes them feel relaxed.'
The Human Touch in Real Life - the Side of Hotel Clients
Reflect on the last time you truly felt at ease when interacting with hotel staff. Chances are, you might struggle to recall such an experience. This is because the so-called human touch is not consistently present among hospitality personnel. The root cause of this issue is the inherent human element. People can be emotional, temperamental, reserved, rigid in communication, sensitive, slow-witted, or lacking in intelligence, among other traits. These characteristics apply not only to customers but also to hospitality staff. Given these human imperfections, interactions between individuals must consider a multitude of factors. Communication and customer service are often impacted by the above-mentioned traits when two or more people are involved, making it challenging to manage such situations.
As a result an almost dream like ephemeral human touch appears that clients crave for and the hotel staff rarely, if at all, can provide.
The Human Touch in Real Life - the Side of Hospitality Managers and Directors
Now, we invite luxury hotel Managers and Directors to reflect on past instances of client complaints regarding the lack of a personal touch. Such feedback is likely a common concern that management has addressed repeatedly through training and communication with staff.
The outcome? Most likely, despite efforts to emphasise the importance of friendliness, the impact is still be limited due to the personal circumstances that influence employees' behaviour, as they are, after all, human. What is more, they will often say that they are not robots.
The Human Touch of the AI-powered Virtual Customer Service Assistants
If the human touch is indeed about friendly and pleasant way of treating other people than the VCSA excels at it. Unlike humans, the VCSA remains unaffected by emotional fluctuations and consistently maintains a positive demeanour in terms of mood, wit, intelligence, and communication skills. Trained to exhibit composure, politeness, provide insightful responses, attentive listening, fulfil customer needs, and conclude interactions on a positive note, the VCSA remains unwavering regardless of the client's temperament.
It is impossible to throw it off balance.
We invite you to see it for yourself by interacting with the VCSA Tester which was designed to offer a glimpse into the capabilities of the Virtual Assistant.
Comments