The impact of hotel robots' service quality on continuance intention: the moderating effect of personal innovation.

Abstract

As service robots are increasingly integrated into the hotel industry to enhance operational efficiency and customer experience, understanding consumers' responses to robotic services has become a critical research agenda. However, empirical evidence on how customers evaluate the service quality of hotel robots and how these evaluations influence their continuance intention remains limited. Drawing on the SERVQUAL framework, this study redefines service quality in the context of AI-powered hotel robots through five dimensions: reliability, assurance, entertainment, anthropomorphism, and tangibles. Furthermore, the study explores the moderating role of personal innovativeness in the relationship between perceived service quality and continuance intention. Data were collected via an online survey from 400 Generation Z consumers in China who had prior experience with item-delivery robots in hotel settings. The results indicate that assurance, entertainment, anthropomorphism, and tangibles have significant positive effects on continuance intention, while reliability does not show a statistically significant impact. Moreover, personal innovativeness significantly moderates the effects of certain service quality dimensions, suggesting that individual differences in technology readiness shape consumer reactions to robotic services. This study contributes to the literature by extending traditional service quality theory into the domain of human-robot interaction and by highlighting the nuanced mechanisms through which robot-specific service attributes influence user loyalty. Practical implications are offered for hotel managers seeking to optimize robot deployment strategies and improve guest engagement in technology-enhanced service environments.