Abstract
PurposeThe service sector is at an inflection point with regard to productivity gains and service industrialization similar to the industrial revolution in manufacturing that started in the eighteenth century. Robotics in combination with rapidly improving technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), mobile, cloud, big data and biometrics will bring opportunities for a wide range of innovations that have the potential to dramatically change service industries. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future and to advance a research agenda for service researchers.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a conceptual approach that is rooted in the service, robotics and AI literature.FindingsThe contribution of this paper is threefold. First, it provides a definition of service robots, describes their key attributes, contrasts their features and capabilities with those of frontline employees, and provides an understanding for which types of service tasks robots will dominate and where humans will dominate. Second, this paper examines consumer perceptions, beliefs and behaviors as related to service robots, and advances the service robot acceptance model. Third, it provides an overview of the ethical questions surrounding robot-delivered services at the individual, market and societal level.Practical implicationsThis paper helps service organizations and their management, service robot innovators, programmers and developers, and policymakers better understand the implications of a ubiquitous deployment of service robots.Originality/valueThis is the first conceptual paper that systematically examines key dimensions of robot-delivered frontline service and explores how these will differ in the future.
Highlights
The service sector seems to be at an inflection point with regard to productivity gains and service industrialization similar to the industrial revolution in manufacturing that started in the eighteenth century
The aim of this paper is to explore the potential role service robots will play in the future
They are capable of autonomous decision making based on the data they receive by various sensors and other sources and adapt to the situation, they can learn from previous episodes (Pagallo, 2013; Allen et al, 2000)
Summary
Brave new world: service robots in the frontline Jochen Wirtz, Paul G. The fulltext of this document has been downloaded 1755 times since 2018*. (2018),"Customer experience challenges: bringing together digital, physical and social realms", Journal of Service Management, Vol 29 Iss 5 pp. (2018),"Operating without operations: how is technology changing the role of the firm?", Journal of Service Management, Vol 29 Iss 5 pp. Access to this document was granted through an Emerald subscription provided by All users group
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