Abstract
ABSTRACT Digitalization across industries is increasingly changing the way customers interact with service providers. One of the most significant influences of digitalization on service outcomes is driven by technology-enabled services i.e. self-service technologies (SSTs). Despite continuous advancement of service delivery from traditional methods to modern SSTs, the technology-oriented interfaces differ in their level of complexity which may affect customer satisfaction. Two independent experiments were undertaken to observe customer satisfaction with telephone-based SSTs. Study 1 featured a 2 (Level of SST Complexity: High/Low) X 2 (Gender of Voice Assistant: Male/Female) between subjects design, while a follow-up study featured a 2 (Service Delivery Outcome: Success/Failure) X 2 (Gender of Voice Assistant: Male/Female) between-subjects factorial design. Results confirm the proposition that a higher level of SST complexity is more likely to lead to decreased customer satisfaction and intention to continue using the SST and this effect is more when the telephone-based SST uses a female voice assistant rather than a male voice assistant. Findings of the follow-up study suggest that customer dissatisfaction following a telephone-based SST failure is more likely with a male voice assistant rather than a female voice assistant. Results are critical for customer-centric firms that depend on effective implementation of SSTs.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have