The use of AI service robots has been more important in recent years in deciding how consumers experience goods and services provided. As more hospitality service providers include AI service robots into their service delivery systems to boost productivity and sustainability, customer experiences are becoming increasingly important for academics and practitioners.
Many difficulties relating to the employment of social robots in service delivery were studied by several researchers. Yet, several discovered ambiguous and contradictory findings regarding how customers reacted to the use of AI service robots in service delivery.
According to certain surveys, customers are skeptical about and may have worries about the use of AI service robots. Others, on the other hand, reported positive sentiments and travel plans for hotels that use AI service robots to provide services.
AI in the hospitality industry
According to a study posted on the MDPI website, customer experience quality and perceived value perceptions in the service are positively influenced by performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and the subjective standards of AI service robots. It is evaluated by evaluating every step of the customer experience, including interactions between customers and service providers and the environment in which services are delivered.
Similar to this, experience quality offers clients many functional and emotional advantages, which affects client happiness. According to the survey, customers might think that the costs associated with using AI service robots are not worthwhile. Moreover, earlier research has demonstrated that customer behavior intention is predicted by both consumer happiness and perceived value.
Moreover, performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and subjective norms are important elements in consumers’ judgements of experience quality and value, according to the literature review carried out by the study’s researchers.
Examining the variables
The notion was put to the test quantitatively by the researchers. The survey instrument was initially created, and the pilot was then evaluated. Data from hotel guests who received hospitality services from AI service robots was gathered using the finalized survey instrument.
Non-probability sampling was used in the investigation. Hotel guests who received hospitality services from AI robots in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou provided data for the study. In each city, three hotels with AI service robots were chosen. At the front desks and guest rooms of those hotels, a self-administered survey form was left.
Research conclusions
According to the study’s findings, the customer’s assessment of the quality of the experience is significantly influenced by both the performance expectations of AI service robots and the effort expectations. Customers’ perceptions of the quality of their experiences are significantly influenced by both the performance expectations of AI service robots and the effort expectations.
Consumers are more likely to perceive their service interactions as of a high caliber, improving overall satisfaction, if they believe that service robots can provide them with faster, more dependable, accurate, and consistent services. Moreover, subjective norms, effort expectations, and performance expectations all significantly influence perceived value.
Conclusion
This study adds to the theoretical framework that will be used in hotels. The study fills a gap in the theory of the relationship between robot service and hotel guest experience by applying UTAUT theory to the deployment of AI service robots and combining the key components in the AI service robot environment.
