Tech Won’t Replace Service, but It Can Help Us Recognize

Ask a hundred hoteliers what makes for great service, and you’ll hear all kinds of answers: personalization, warmth, staff, speed, amenities, technology, you name it. But if we had to reduce it to just one word, I’d argue it’s this: recognition.

Recognition is more than remembering a name. It’s about seeing the person in front of you, understanding them and letting them know that you did. In hotels it’s about acknowledging their relationship to your hotel.

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In its most basic form in hospitality, recognition is knowing if someone’s been here before and acting accordingly. Think about the difference between for a first time guest, “Is this your first time here?” and “Welcome, let me show you around.” One is transactional. The other is personal. One reminds guests they’re anonymous. The other says, “We see you.”

This extends beyond hospitality. I recently read about someone who left Verizon after 19 years to switch to AT&T. When he asked Verizon to match a competing offer, they didn’t even acknowledge his loyalty, no small gesture, nothing (well, they did put hoops in his way to make it hard for him to leave). That lack of recognition didn’t just cost them a customer; it left a bitter aftertaste, and he’s busy telling the world about it. I don’t think he needed a big discount - he just wanted to be seen and acknowledged.

Hotels do this too. I once stayed at a hotel weekly for several months. Same front desk clerk. Same check-in routine. And every single time, I was asked to fill out the same forms, present the same passport, get the same polite-but-clueless smile. After two months, I was still a stranger. I stopped booking.

Now compare that to a property where the bartender remembers your drink, or the front desk greets you with “Welcome back.” It’s not magic, it’s recognition. And it builds loyalty faster than points ever will.

This is also where technology can truly help. I remember working with a hotel group that has a lot of self-service kiosks and a roving attendant to help guests in case of need. Seems horrible to hotel buffs, but it worked great. However, there was no system to recognize the guest. I had suggested making the background color of the screen a different color for all first-time guests. So the attendant could see from far that they might need help. And the regulars aren’t being annoyed with “do you need any help?”.

Something as simple as a different screen color for first-time users on a kiosk could guide staff in the right direction. Great guest profiles should be part of the core systems, not a bolt-on. With AI, tech can start find possible duplicates, with LLMs it can suggest a greeting. There are dozens of quick wins.

Recognition isn’t a “nice to have.” It’s the start of every great service moment. It costs nothing, and pays back in loyalty, satisfaction, and word-of-mouth. And yet, it’s the thing most often overlooked, the “have you stayed with us before?” neutral statement should be retired - they should know.

Want better reviews? Better rates? More word of mouth? Start by recognizing who’s in front of you.