Hospitality Leader Warns Speed Is Killing Customer Service

In an era where speed dominates customer service, hospitality entrepreneur Javier Burillo Azcárraga warns that the pursuit of efficiency is stripping away the human judgment customers value most. Burillo Azcárraga, founder of luxury resort Las Ventanas al Paraíso and chairman of Grant's Crusade, argues that technology should remove routine work, not replace the people who make thoughtful decisions. He notes that businesses are increasingly adopting AI, self-service tools, and automated support, but questions whether these tools improve the customer experience or simply make processes faster. Citing a FICO report that 88% of customers consider experience as important as products or services, he emphasizes that many companies excel at measuring response times but fail to assess whether customers feel heard or understood.

Throughout his career, Burillo Azcárraga found that memorable experiences stem from employees empowered to solve problems and exercise judgment, not from expensive amenities or rigid procedures. He cautions against confusing standardization with quality—standardized processes can create consistency but should not eliminate flexibility. When employees lose decision-making authority, customer service becomes predictable in negative ways: problems take longer to resolve, unique situations get generic answers, and customers feel they interacted with a system rather than a business. He urges leaders to evaluate technology not just by efficiency gains but by whether it gives employees more time for meaningful problem-solving and strengthens customer relationships.

Burillo Azcárraga concludes that the businesses earning loyalty are those where employees still have permission to think. As companies invest in automation and AI, he hopes leaders recognize that technology and personal service are not competing priorities. Automation should remove repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on moments that impact customer relationships most. “The goal shouldn't be replacing people,” he says. “The goal should be giving people more opportunities to do the work that only people can do.”