Investigating Customers' Preferences of Robot's Serving Styles

Abstract

This work investigated how robots with different service style in food industries are perceived by customers. We analysed responses from 53 participants who evaluated the video interaction of a robot waiter while taking orders and that delivered a customer service experience based on different styles of a service robot interaction (service-focused vs. social-focused). Results indicated that social-focused robots are perceived to have more natural and pleasant behaviours compared with service-focused robots, and therefore better accepted by customers. Social-focused robots were also perceived as having a more persuasive effect on the users' choices. In contrast, service-focused robots were perceived as hasty, and participants did not feel in charge of the food choices to order.