When a traveller books a $700 a night hotel room she assumes that she’ll have a five-star experience. She’s expecting more than a better bed, thicker carpets and fancier facilities. When a five-star hotel gets a one-star review, it’s an indication that something went badly wrong.

Of course, guests and customers are disappointed for a variety of reasons. Reality can’t always meet expectations. Sometimes the room is noisy, or the food is cold. Maybe the shower is dirty, or the bed is uncomfortable. But these issues in isolation rarely result in a ‘terrible’ review.

When you analyse one-star reviews, a clear pattern emerges. It doesn’t matter whether the hotel’s room rate is $700 or $70 a night—every single one-star review is a result of human failure. It’s what happens in the moment when the customer seeks acknowledgement that changes everything.

The best product on the planet is rendered virtually worthless if the person delivering it fails to make a human connection with the customer. We want to be seen more than we want plush carpets beneath our feet or goose down pillows under our heads.

Image by Thomas Hawk