Now hiring: hospitable voice bots
Customer story
-
Trends Report
If you’ve ever tried to make a reservation or ask a quick question – only to be met with endless ringing or voicemail – you’re not alone. New data shows this isn’t just a minor inconvenience for diners – some are going as far as giving up on restaurants entirely, costing restaurants business and valuable revenue.
According to a new survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Hostie from May 29 – June 2, 2025, among 2,065 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, the most common way Americans prefer to get in touch with restaurants is the old-fashioned way: by phone (63%). But in many cases (58%), those calls go unanswered, likely leaving diners with unresolved questions, missed reservations and growing frustrations.
Phone calls are the top way Americans want to connect with restaurants, with 63% saying it’s their go-to method. Other preferred contact methods include:
The problem? During peak hours, restaurant staff are often focused on delivering high-quality, in-person service, meaning incoming calls, texts and emails are frequently ignored. This disconnect is driving consumers away.
In fact, when asked, 1 in 5 Americans (20%) report that their calls to restaurants are always/often ignored. And nearly 7 in 10 (69%) say they’re likely to give up on a restaurant altogether if no one answers the phone. Among millennials (ages 29-44) – a generation with significant spending power – that number rises to 72%.
Unanswered calls aren’t just a customer service issue—they’re a bottom-line problem.
The good news: diners are open to new solutions. Nearly 9 in 10 of Americans (89%) say they’d be open to using an AI agent to interact with a restaurant. While younger generations lead the charge (95% of Gen Z ages 18-28, 92% each of Millennials and Gen X ages 45-60), even 80% of Baby Boomers (ages 61-79) say they’re on board.
Here’s what diners say they would be open to letting AI handle:
This strong appetite for AI agents presents an opportunity for restaurants to modernize guest communication without sacrificing hospitality.
That’s where Hostie comes in. Hostie is an AI-powered guest communications platform that gives restaurants a smarter way to connect with customers—centralizing calls, texts, and emails to streamline communication. We help restaurants capture more business by ensuring no inquiry goes unanswered. Whether it's a reservation, event request, or a simple question about hours, Hostie helps turn every guest touchpoint into a potential connection.
“As a restaurant owner myself, I know how difficult it can be to balance being on the floor during peak service hours while managing inbound calls, texts and emails from potential guests,” said Randall Hom, co-founder and CEO of Hostie. “I’m sure we’ve lost a ton of business over the years by not being available to answer our guests' questions. That’s why we created Hostie, to help operators and managers like us focus on delivering the best hospitality experience to their in person guests, and let technology do the rest.”
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of Hostie from May 29 – June 2, 2025 among 2,065 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact stephanie@goodpr.co.
Visit this link and book a 30 minute call!
