Opendoor just served up a Netflix-worthy twist and Wall Street is cheering them on. But not because they’re crushing it but because they’re hitting pause on their old “disrupt everything” playbook. The stock is up 600% since July, and the thought is investors believe Opendoor is pivoting from “be the next Zillow” and start working with agents, instead of replacing them.

For years, Silicon Valley bet big that code could outsmart local know-how. But guess what? No algorithm can sniff out Grandma’s mysterious basement odor or know that the drummer next door thinks he’s Travis Barker at 2 a.m. Zillow lost nearly a billion dollars learning that lesson. Opendoor spent billions on their own facepalm moment.

You can program a bot to estimate square footage, but you can’t make it understand why two look-a-like houses sell for wildly different prices (hint: sometimes it’s all about the neighbor’s prize roses).

Human 1:
Algorithm 0.5

The Opendoor pivot isn’t just a real estate story. I think it is a wake-up call for loyalty programs everywhere. I think the brands that will win won’t be the ones automating everything. It’s those that use tech to make life easier for their brand fans, but keep the human connection front and center.

In other words customers crave realness, not robo-rewards.

I gave AI a 0.5 because it’s idiocy to think AI won’t add value in the loyalty space – it’s just not the destination.

Your goal should be to put more humanity in the code not put more code in front of your customers.

Industry Power Moves I’d Consider…

Fast Food

Keep It Personal: Friendly service and a familiar face beat fancy apps every time. Invest in training and hiring. Can’t automate out of bad consumer experiences in person.

Local Love: Highlight local menu twists and let staff shine with their local stories. Let the team suggest meals to sell (and maybe think about staff incentives on those meals.)

Travel

Real People, Real Help: When plans go sideways, nothing beats a human who actually knows the ropes. But that isn’t feasible in today’s world. But think outside the box. What if you upgraded your hold music to trivia games earning surprise discounts (can you say free upgrade!)

Expert Touch: Route to agents with destination know-how.

Clothing

Stylists Over Chatbots: In-store advice and honest opinions win loyalty. This is one place AI could provide some help by “evaluating” outfits customers put together and make suggestions (ie: upsell.)

Community First: Events instore help create authentic conversations topping those algorithmic recommendations.

The Lessons

Blend Digital With Human – Apps are nice, but memorable moments come from real people.

Empower Employees – Front-line staff should be the face—and heart—of your brand.

Community & Local Perks – Tap into human expertise and local flavor to create moments no app can replicate.

Final Word

In the epic humans-vs-robots showdown, empathy and expertise crush code every time. Loyalty is built by people, not programs.

Make ‘human’ your MVP.

Drop your best human touch loyalty story in the comments—or tag a brand that nails it!