re: #308 Targetpractice

The flip side to that is all the industries that we were once told could never be replaced because customers wanted a “human face” which have slowly gone the way of the dodo. Wasn’t too long ago that the business world swore that online shopping would not be more than a niche because people wanted to walk into a brick-and-mortar store and talk with a sales associate in-person.

Understood (although I loved online shopping from day one). But after traveling, going through the TSA feel up at the airport, sitting in cattle coach…schlepping your stuff from the airport to a car rental facility or into a taxi to make a trek to the hotel…we want someone who can give us what we want, be it a room away from the ice machine or elevator or a first floor or what have you.

I had opportunities to use a kiosk at the O’Hare Hilton. I hated it. At least with a person I can ensure everything I need is done the first time and I don’t have to dick around with a finicky machine.

The thing I hate more than anything is to have traveled 10 hours to finally make it to my room, which is on the other side of the hotel, far, far from the front desk and have the key not work. And when that happens I take out my trusty phone, call the human at the front desk and ask them to bring me a functional key. I don’t travel as much as I used to, but even now I tend to be at the higher level of loyalty in the various rewards programs. The last thing they want is to lose someone like me. And I believe, correct me if I am wrong, that business travelers still make up the lion’s share of business at hotels.