Are we better off financially without speaking to a human?
When a friend visited from Bahrain last year, I was surprised to see that she had her ticket printed and folded inside a travel agency envelope.
I couldn’t remember the last time I booked my ticket through a travel agent and asked why she didn’t book her flights online? She said the deals were always better through her agent, especially because she had dealt with that agency for years. Another friend confirmed this when she told me that her travel agent arranged a round-trip business class ticket for her to the United States for less than Dh10,000.
I wondered if all of these virtual transactions I’ve been conducting online were depriving me from great deals that could come as a result of old-school human interaction? So I put it to the test.
As I planned my latest trip to the US, I looked at the rates of the hotel I wanted to stay at on different booking websites. I then contacted the hotel directly and spoke to the reservation agent. I asked her if they would be able to give me a better rate than the one I saw on websites. She gave me a slightly better deal with complimentary breakfast.
Although the hotel I chose offers a mobile check-in, I decided to go to the reception and ask the front desk manager if it was possible to upgrade to a bigger room at the same rate I was given (a tip my friend gave me). After checking through her system for a couple of minutes, the manager provided me with a complimentary upgrade to a larger corner room with a nicer view.
I also tested this with the car leasing company that I wanted to hire a car and a driver through. I called and asked to speak to the driver, who happened to be the co-owner of the company. After a few minutes on the phone, I got a discounted rate and also made a new friend.
When it comes to travelling, I mostly conduct my bookings online. My last trip not only made me realise how much I miss human interaction when it comes
to bookings, it also saved me hundreds of dollars. I wondered how much I could have saved over the past few years had I opted to do things the old way?
In business, more and more companies are promising seamless, AI-powered online solutions, where you can have groceries, furniture, and anything else delivered free of any human interaction. You could walk in and out of McDonald’s without the need to speak to anyone. You can do the same at Amazon’s cashier-less Amazon Go convenience store.
But is that necessarily better? Are we really better off personally and financially without having to speak to anyone?
A survey of 15,000 people from around the world by PwC found that people favour human interactions over digital ones. Only 3 per cent of US customers want to have their experiences as fully automated as possible. According to the study, most of the customers surveyed say they want more human interaction in the future.
I’m personally not against technological improvements and AI-powered solutions, but I believe strongly that in business we need to value and continue to enhance customer experiences. Many regional fashion businesses on Instagram, for instance, state they do not accept calls, or any forms of communication, and only respond to WhatsApp messages or those sent through the direct messaging option, which I find completely unprofessional. How am I to deal with you or ask about a product if there is no other form of communication than WhatsApp, through which many customers complain about delayed responses. PwC finds that one in three customers would walk away from a brand they love after one bad experience.
Investing in personal interaction isn’t hard and won’t cost you much. It’s a simple mixture of a fast response rate, convenience, and friendliness that could win you recurring, loyal customers.