Abstract
The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and service robots in the tourism industry for frontline service automation is generating a growing interest. Although there is a fairly large body of literature about this research field, the impacts on the service encounter need to be further investigated. The paper presents an action research project that led to employ the humanoid robot “Pepper”, equipped with a supervised machine-learning AI system, at the reception of an Italian hotel to provide information to clients. This allowed to explore the role played by this agent and the effects on the changing role taken by frontline employees (FLE) and customers. Findings show that this technology can act as an augmentation force and that FLEs’ role can evolve mainly into that of enabler - of the customers and of technology -, innovator and coordinator, while customers may take above all the role of enabler of the technology. The study also contributes to introduce the new role of “AI supervisor” among FLEs.
Highlights
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the enhancement of robotics, together with a stronger digital connectivity, impact all business sectors, including services (Li et al 2019; Makridakis 2017)
As for the first research question, i.e. the role of technology, the preliminary interviews and meetings with the CEO and managers highlighted that they expected that the robot could provide basic information to the guests, while the frontline employees (FLE) would have more time to continue assisting guests for more complex services and thick/rich interactions with customers and performing check-in/out and back-office operation
The merit of this study largely lies in the fact that it is based on a concrete real life case and on the action research methodology, that have allowed the authors to directly observe and assist the company for a whole year, investigating what it means to really incorporate an AI-based technology within a service business environment
Summary
The development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the enhancement of robotics, together with a stronger digital connectivity, impact all business sectors, including services (Li et al 2019; Makridakis 2017). Companies adopt these advanced and smart technologies in order to improve operation. Further research contributions are needed in the field of customers’ and employees’ attitude; of the changing roles that they may take in the service encounter; of service design; of impacts on processes, operations, jobs and organisational redesigning; of employees’ training (De Keyser et al 2019; Murphy et al 2017). While many conceptual papers have been produced in this area, empirical research seem to be less developed and research methods such as action research and projective techniques have not yet been applied (Ivanov et al 2019)
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