Impacts of Service Robots on Service Quality

摘要

Traditional robots can only perform simple and repetitive tasks. Modern robots are more diversified and humanized due to the development of artificial intelligence. In recent years, the service industry began to introduce robots to the service field. However, it is unknown whether service robots in the service field improve service quality. Previous studies have rarely mentioned this issue. This study collected data from questionnaires, which were completed by 201 customers that were served by service robots in a hotel. We used the dependent t-test for paired samples to examine whether the expected service quality and actual performance were different. In addition, we used the technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS) to determine the ranking of the consumer's expected service quality characteristics and the ranking of the actual performance characteristics. The results showed that the expected highest ranking of service quality for consumers was the reliability of the robot. However, the highest ranking of actual performance would be the tangibles of the robot. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the actual performance and expectation in the responsiveness of the service quality, and negative and significant differences existed between the actual performance and expectation in the dimensions of tangibles, reliability and assurance. However, there was a nonsignificant difference between the actual performance and expectation in the construct of empathy. Therefore, consumers believe that service quality related to empathy, tangibles, reliability and assurance still needs to be improved in the future.