A company recently announced a funding round for its self-guided apartment touring technology. Landlords and property management personnel can pre-record narration, explaining features, and allowing potential renters to take tours during the day or after hours.

Absolutely technology could enable entrance to a given apartment and direct a possible customer through the space, all without adding additional staff. It seems like an automatic win with a clear return on investment. Like many other robotic and "AI" driven systems to remove the burden of interactivity and the cost of human personnel.

Customer service in whatever form it takes has a broader and deeper reach than many people recognize. The representatives — called so because they are stand-ins for the company as a whole and are perceived as such — are there to hear concerns, stories, questions, complaints, and confusion. Their work includes lending an ear, solving problems, explaining the obscure, being a guide, and often acting as a friend.