16Be Human
The Connaught Bar, located in Mayfair, London, has been bestowed with the prestigious title of best bar in the world for both 2020 and 2021. We discussed the secret behind the bar's allure—and its renown for impeccable service and ceremonious presentation of martinis—with Agostino Perrone, the director of mixology, and his first assistant, Giorgio Bargiani. Without hesitation they revealed: “Anyone can create a good cocktail; it ultimately boils down to having the right ingredients and knowing the recipe. What sets the best bartenders apart is the skill to combine the perfect drink with the artistry of crafting a unique ceremony that surpasses expectations and creates an exceptional customer experience.”1 This point emphasizes how effective human creativity and ingenuity can be—which is clearly even truer when one's competition is machines. On the other hand, standardization can provide great efficiency and scale, whether or not enabled by digital technology.
In Chapter 8, “High Tech + High Touch,” we discussed the great value that human personnel can bring to the customer journey—as well as the importance of finding the right mix of channels when planning an onlife optichannel strategy. In this chapter we'll discuss the balance between humans and machines when it comes to crafting the best customer experience. This topic is particularly current considering the debate around the role of generative AI in reshaping work. According to the professional services network ...
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