Unreasonable Hospitality and Unreasonable Digital Experiences

As leader of the Experience Practice at Thirdera, a Cognizant company, I've found unexpected inspiration in Will Guidara's "Unreasonable Hospitality." While the book focuses on fine dining, its principles perfectly align with our mission to create exceptional digital experiences through ServiceNow. Guidara's transformation of Eleven Madison Park into a four-star establishment demonstrates how meticulous attention to detail creates unforgettable experiences that extend beyond service.

By applying the principles of "Unreasonable Hospitality", this blog post will decipher how to maximise the power of AI to create digital experiences that resonate with customers and empower employees to deliver service excellence.

The Digital-Culinary Connection: A Framework for Excellence

In both fine dining and digital platforms, success relies on seamless coordination behind the scenes. Backend developers, supported by certified technical architects and master architects, function as our kitchen staff – building and maintaining the intricate systems, databases, and APIs that power the platform. They ensure smooth functionality and reliable performance, much like a kitchen crew executing each dish to perfection.

UX researchers, designers, and business process consultants are our front-of-house team, focusing on understanding user needs and crafting intuitive interfaces. Just as attentive waitstaff anticipates diners' needs, these professionals ensure the digital experience remains engaging, user-friendly, and precisely tailored to the target audience.

AI as an Experience Enabler - Benefits and Concerns

Just as Guidara recognised employee satisfaction as the key to exceptional customer experiences, AI within ServiceNow can empower teams to deliver superior service. However, it's important to acknowledge the legitimate concerns that often arise with AI implementation:

• Privacy and data security: Many worry about how AI systems handle sensitive information
• Job displacement anxiety: Teams often fear AI will replace human roles
• Trust in AI decision-making: Questions arise about AI's reliability and bias

These concerns require thoughtful consideration, but they can be effectively addressed with ServiceNow AI to:

• Enhance customer service through AI agents and virtual assistants providing 24/7 support, while maintaining clear paths to human assistance
• Improve efficiency through Now Assist Skill Kit and automated data visualisation, freeing employees for higher-value work rather than replacing them
• Enable hyper-personalised experiences using sentiment analysis and predictive problem-solving, with transparent data-handling practices
• Drive proactive issue resolution through AI-driven data analysis, augmenting human decision-making

Building Trust in AI-Driven Experiences

The current challenge lies in integrating AI while maintaining authenticity. Users, like restaurant guests, want to feel valued – not processed. Guidara's approach to guest arrival illustrates this perfectly: he reimagined the traditional host stand experience, focusing on making guests feel welcomed like friends rather than entries in a reservation system. The technical implementation mattered less than the emotional impact.

To build trust in AI-powered experiences, organisations must focus on:

• Human-Centered Design: Ensuring AI interactions are intuitive and personalised through continuous refinement based on user feedback.
• Transparency and Control: Providing clear explanations of AI-driven recommendations and user control over data and interactions
• Balanced Integration: Using AI to augment human capabilities, not replace them, allowing service agents to focus on relationship building and complex problem-solving
• Data Privacy: Implementing robust security measures and being transparent about data usage

Human-Centered Design – A Practical Application

In a recent implementation, we rebranded a client’s virtual agent to align with their evolving needs while integrating AI into their roadmap. This process involved personalising interactions through user research and personas, ensuring the AI was tailored to individual preferences. We emphasised clarity and trust by using simple language and clear escalation paths while enhancing the interaction by incorporating empathy, accessibility, and a conversational tone. Continuous improvement was key, as we solicited feedback, iterated on insights, and integrated seamlessly with existing systems. Adding humor and personality to the AI, like introducing “Claire the Fox”—our clever, resourceful virtual assistant—made the experience not only functional but also engaging and memorable for users.

Focusing on the "Why"

Just as Guidara looked beyond the traditional dining experience to create something exceptional, we need to understand the current struggles and areas for improvement before implementing solutions. This includes:

• Identifying customer pain points: Before diving into AI implementation, it's crucial to understand the challenges customers face within the current digital experience. Are they struggling with slow response times, difficulty finding information, or a lack of personalised support? 

• Understanding employee needs: Just as Guidara prioritised employee satisfaction as a key driver of exceptional customer experiences, it's essential to recognise how AI can empower employees. AI can automate repetitive tasks, freeing up employees to focus on more complex and rewarding work, ultimately leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity. 

• Recognising the limitations of traditional solutions: Existing digital solutions may be falling short of customer expectations. AI can offer a way to bridge this gap by providing faster, more personalised, and proactive experiences at scale. 

Once these pain points and areas for improvement are identified, you can more clearly determine the relevance and value of AI-powered solutions.  

Measure Your Baseline

Thirdera's GenAI 60-day Evaluation Blueprint offers a structured approach to validate AI's value within ServiceNow environments while addressing common concerns:

• Configuration of VA for catalog creation: This addresses the need for streamlined and user-friendly service catalogs. 

• Configuration of KB auto-generation: This helps ensure that knowledge base content remains up-to-date and easily accessible, improving self-service options for customers. 

• Configuration of language translation assistance: This breaks down language barriers, expanding accessibility and creating a more inclusive experience. 

• Configuration of sentiment analysis to your VA: This allows businesses to understand customer sentiment and tailor interactions accordingly, providing more empathetic and personalised support. 

• Assessment of conversational AI options: This explores the potential of AI-powered chatbots and virtual agents to provide 24/7 support and instant responses, addressing customer expectations for fast and convenient service. 

The Future of Customer Experience

Just as a great restaurant anticipates guest needs, AI-powered platforms can create genuine, satisfying interactions that exceed expectations. The key lies in using technology to enhance human connections, not replace them. By applying these principles to your ServiceNow implementation, you can create digital experiences that are as memorable and impactful as the finest dining experiences.

Ready to explore how AI can transform your ServiceNow experience? Evaluate the potential impact of GenAI on your ServiceNow processes and workflows with a 60-day trial.