Is an emerging socially anxious generation driving hospitality change?
There is no denying that interactions in hospitality are quickly changing. No longer does everyone want over personalised hospitality experiences and instead the modern socially anxious generation is leading developments in how experiences in the industry can be simple, effective yet not an intimate experience.
In the last five years we have seen examples of what could be viewed as antisocial switches. From being able to pre- order coffees for pick up instead of talking to local neighbourhood baristas to getting room service from robots it is obvious that there is an emerging market for less interaction in hospitality. Is this being led due to the rise in social anxiety in young people or a simple preference for simpler interactions?
Traditionally, the hospitality industry had seen customer service as a fundamental pillar of the industry where businesses have focused on differentiating their personability to capture the market. Is this no longer something that the customer is wanting or focused on?
There has been a clear shift from commercialised, cliched and disingenuous customer service of the past, which had previously been delivered by fast food restaurants and instead the customer wanted to feel genuine connection. Is this a further extension away from these experiences and a further emphasis that if hospitality services are not genuine the consumer will happily go without?
An advantage of this less personalised approach is a possible reduction in labour costs as well as the opportunity for ease of use however does this make previous service standards redundant? The hospitality industry already struggles with attracting entry level workers so perhaps this is a trend that will combat the lack of people entering the sector.
The pandemic created an opening for technologies where people felt safer with less interaction. Booking restaurants via apps instead of over the phone is the most obvious example yet as the pandemic ended, we have seen these practices become the norm and increasingly young people seem to prefer these methods. Older generations perhaps see this as an inability to interact at basic levels but with so many people preferring this ease and insularity perhaps this is the future of customer interaction.
This new want by younger generations for less human interaction poses the question for hospitality-based businesses. How should they manage varying clientele; half who are looking for personalised service and others who would prefer effective yet minimal interaction? The definition of “good hospitality service” is fast changing but not linearly. No longer can companies easily determine if the customer wants attentive service or to be left alone.
Should companies be investing in technologies which reduce human interaction or in the training of employees for better service?
Obviously, there will always be a want by some customers for high levels of service, but companies need to acknowledge this changing dynamic and understand that, perhaps in the future, we will see a customer who prioritises less interaction.
