Culture is at the center of the plate when it comes to what makes us unique and differentiates us in the products and services we offer. It needs to be served with the culture and customs of our guests and employees in mine. On this week’s episode of Accelerate, Host Rob Grimes considers the many forms of traditions and how they work hand in hand with the technology and tools that can help us.

The bottom line is that the hospitality industries need to provide good service no matter where they operate. To understand cultural expectations is to be able to provide that quality. Having options in menus is a good example of this - understanding the local needs and expectations of the customers you serve.

Technologies like AI and Machine Learning are able to help us understand and navigate various cultures in ways we couldn’t before. Still, Rob says, we don’t know everything. “We've started talking about ethics because that also plays a part; not just how people negotiate, but how they conduct business in ways which may seem different in every culture. Ethics also plays a part in how we use the technology; ethics is impacts what we can do and use in the information we collect.”

To learn more about the deep connection between technology and culture, listen to this episode of Accelerate.