Why Putting Your Trust in AI Won’t Make the Customer Experience Better

What will customers remember about your website, product, service, or people? What will they say to their friends and coworkers about their experience? Will they even mention it? 

A huge amount of attention and resources are being directed toward incorporating AI into the customer experience, ranging from automating responses to social media comments to improving call center experience. Who knows where OpenAI’s Voice Engine will finally lead us? 

Do you think customers will discuss how “wowed” they were by their AI experience? I am willing to bet they won’t notice. AI-created experiences will be more “expected” than “exceeding.”

So, how can you design a customer experience that is worthy of discussion? I was resolved to address that question while on vacation a few weeks ago. 

Discovering a 5-star client experience.

After hearing Dan Gingiss, author of “The Experience Maker,” at a recent event and carrying his book, I went to a resort off the coast of South Carolina to learn how it won its AAA Five Diamond award and Forbes five-star rating. 

It started with a room upgrade because I booked our vacation with American Express. I’ve had this advantage for years, yet I rarely get upgraded at other hotels we’ve stayed at. And this wasn’t just ordinary accommodation; it was beachside with a million-dollar view. In less than ten minutes, at least one, if not more, stars had been identified. 

The next day, over breakfast, we met Lincoln. Lincoln was more than simply a server; he was also our vacation coach. He asked what we hoped to obtain out of our vacation. He then urged us to slow down, breathe, and enjoy our stay at the resort. It was a much-needed reminder that we were on vacation and should take time to unwind, be present, and enjoy our time together. 

He also asked, really, if there was anything he could do to make our stay more enjoyable, which we later accepted. Another star was won thanks to Lincoln. 

With our thoughts set on vacation, we headed out to explore the resort and walk down the beach. We returned to the hotel room to discover another surprise that truly demonstrated the skill of “wowing” your consumers with the simple things.

Anticipating and exceeding client requirements

My wife is a member of the local book club. She, like me, brought a book with her to read and enjoy our newfound free time. The book was left on the bathtub ledge, and the lady who cleaned our room noted that she was missing a bookmark. 

A gold tassel bookmark with the resort’s logo was carefully put on top of the book. Impressive! If that attention to detail doesn’t get you a star, I’m not sure what would.

Lincoln returned to serve our breakfast a few mornings later. This time, my wife was deciding between two tempting menu options. Lincoln promised to select the most enticing ingredients from each and prepare a special breakfast just for her. After all, he asked what he could do to make our stay more pleasant. Mission completed. 

His final act took place on the penultimate day of our stay. We noted that we’d be checking out later that day, and Lincoln packed a “goodie bag” for us, complete with cutlery. This is an excellent example of going “above and beyond.” We were impressed and moved.

Throughout our visit, it was evident that the resort had empowered its workers, from room service to spa to restaurants, to make decisions that improved the client experience. Taking a leaf from Gingiss’s book, they observed the small details, such as a book without a bookmark. 

Providing an extraordinary experience through a customer-centric culture.

As the bookmark shows, experiences may be shaped without interacting with customers. The experience without participation is shaped by the ability to see, anticipate needs, and be willing to act. 

Employees bought into the resort’s mission, which helped it get great evaluations. They all experienced it. It wasn’t just one or two objects or people; it was the entire group. They knew what they were doing, and it wasn’t hospitality—it was the experience. 

You simply cannot tell a buyer what your brand stands for. They must experience it, just like we did at the resort. We believed that the service and experience deserved a higher rating.

Every touchpoint influences the experience. You can’t fake it, and customers can sense it. You must also understand the true nature of your business. You’re selling what it does for users, not the technology itself. It is what it allows or generates, not the feature or capability. 

CX beyond AI: Focus on pleasing consumers.

AI-enabled consumer experiences will focus on what the technology can do for the user rather than what it can do. As an emerging technology, I see early indications that this thinking is not occurring. 

Currently, the application appears to be more focused on what it can accomplish for the organization. Perhaps this is a valid beginning step, but it must be followed soon by a focus on the customer experience. 

It’s too early to tell, but in the meanwhile, there are plenty of things you can accomplish without it. Focus on the little things that make consumers happy, teach and empower your personnel, and look for ways to exceed their expectations. Sounds straightforward and intuitive, but does it happen regularly and throughout the organization?

What did we tell our friends and relatives about our travels? Was it the food, weather, beach, or the resort’s beauty? Maybe a little. The narrative of the bookmark, however, genuinely caught the core of our trip, demonstrating the importance of meticulous detail.

We didn’t even have to explain it; folks understood when they heard the narrative. That is how you establish a good reputation and achieve excellent ratings.