The Impact of the Characteristics of Self-Service Technologies on Customer Experience Quality: Insights for Airline Companies

Abstract

Research on self-service technologies (SSTs) has not been fully developed, and it is still open to debate with many aspects concerning its effect on customer experience and potential outcomes empirically, especially in the airline industry. Studies regarding these technologies and their potential impact are needed in the airline industry as they represent an integral part of the tourism industry. Previous studies on the airline industry have merely focused on SSTs and their impact on customer adoption, tendency to use, and satisfaction. The SSTs have the capacity to influence how customers perceive their experience in the overall process of getting a service. Thus, customer experience quality (CXQ) is influenced by the perceived characteristics of SSTs. The literature on the impact of SSTs on CXQ is considerably limited in general, particularly in the airline industry. More research on this issue is needed, especially following the outbreak of COVID-19; thus, this study aims to investigate a model that integrates the impact of the perceived characteristics of SSTs as antecedents and outcomes of CXQ. The research design of this study is based on a mixed-method approach: a preliminary study consisting of two qualitative investigations and a main study through face-to-face questionnaires with airline passengers. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is applied to the data collected from passengers traveling with the airline company in Turkey (N=501) through questionnaires applied as mall intercepts. The results of this study include extending the CXQ dimensions to add consistency and institutionalism, hence contributing to the service and tourism literature. Furthermore, this research provides actionable insights for managers in airline businesses to invest more in SSTs to improve their CXQ, customer satisfaction, and positive word-of-mouth communication (WOM).