Abstract
PurposeRecent service studies suggest focusing on the service triad consisting of technology-customer-frontline employee (FLE). This study empirically investigates the role of service robots in this service triad, with the aim to understand the augmentation or substitution role of service robots in driving utilitarian and hedonic value and ultimately customer repatronage.Design/methodology/approachIn study 1, field data are collected from customers (n = 108) who interacted with a service robot and FLE in a fast casual dining restaurant. Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test hypotheses about the impact of service robots' anthropomorphism, social presence, value perceptions and augmentation opportunities in the service triad. In study 2, empirical data from a scenario-based experimental design (n = 361) complement the field study by further scrutinizing the interplay between the service robot and FLEs within the service triad.FindingsThe study provides three important contributions. First, the authors provide empirical evidence for the interplay between different actors in the “customer-FLE-technology” service triad resulting in customer repatronage. Second, the empirical findings advance the service management literature by unraveling the relationship between anthropomorphism and social presence and their effect on perceived value in the service triad. And third, the study identifies utilitarian value of service robots as a driver of customer repatronage in fast casual dining restaurants.Practical implicationsThe results help service managers, service robot engineers and designers, and policy makers to better understand the implications of anthropomorphism, and how the utilitarian value of service robots can offer the potential for augmentation or substitution roles in the service triad.Originality/valueBuilding on existing conceptual and laboratory studies on service robots, this is one of the first field studies on the service triad consisting of service robots – customers – frontline employees. The empirical study on service triads provides evidence for the potential of FLEs to augment service robots that exhibit lower levels of functional performance to achieve customer repatronage. FLEs can do this by demonstrating a high willingness to help and having excellent interactions with customers. This finding advocates the joint service delivery by FLE – service robot teams in situations where service robot technology is not fully optimized.
Highlights
In hospitality services such as restaurants, service triads consisting of technology, customers and frontline employees (FLEs) are becoming more common (Li et al, 2021)
The manipulation checks indicated a significant effect for all three manipulated factors: service robot utilitarian value (Mlow 5 3.73, SD 5 2.16 vs. Mhigh 5 5.73, SD 5 1.20), F(1,359) 5 168.85, p < 0.001, service robot hedonic value (Mlow 5 2.98, SD 5 1.86 vs. Mhigh 5 5.28, SD 5 1.46), F(1,359) 5 25.08, p < 0.001 and FLE interaction quality (Mlow 5 3.10, SD 5 1.88 vs. Mhigh 5 5.46, SD 5 1.24), F(1,359) 5 39.00, p < 0.001
To verify the robustness of the findings of our field study related to hypotheses 4 and 6, we first analyzed a subset of our sample, leaving out the respondents who were in the control condition and did not experience any FLE interaction in their scenario
Summary
In hospitality services such as restaurants, service triads consisting of technology, customers and frontline employees (FLEs) are becoming more common (Li et al, 2021). 239) introduced the concept of service encounter 2.0, which can be defined as “any customer-company interaction that results from a service system that is comprised of interrelated technologies (either company- or customer-owned), human actors (employees and customers), physical/ digital environments and company/customer processes.” This novel perspective emphasizes the need to understand the service triad of customer – frontline employee (FLE) – technology (De Keyser et al, 2019; Lariviere et al, 2017). We employ a field study as well as a scenario-based experimental design with frontline service robots in a fast casual dining restaurant and refer to service robots as “system-based autonomous and adaptable interfaces that interact, communicate and deliver service to an organization’s customers”
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