Rise of the Machines: Customer Preference for Service Robots Across Different Settings

Abstract

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence in service economies, service robots play an increasingly important role in frontline service across various industries. However, it remains uncertain whether customers actually prefer service robots across different frontline service settings. Therefore, this exploratory research empirically compares customers' attitudes toward service robots to their attitudes toward human employees, to determine whether customers' preference for service robots is contingent on service settings. Study 1 was conducted in a high-touch setting (i.e., hotel check-in), and Study 2 was conducted in a low-touch setting (i.e., fast-food ordering). It was found that while customers enjoy interaction with a service robot more than with a human employee in both settings, they tend to accept and recommend service robots more readily in a low-touch setting. This research provides implications regarding the adoption of service robots and some promising avenues for future marketing research on service robots.