Abstract Summary/Description
Robotic service agents are becoming increasingly common in service-oriented industries such as hospitality (e.g., hotels and restaurants) and healthcare (e.g., hospitals), offering companies solutions for automating repetitive tasks, overcoming labor shortages, and reducing labor costs. Yet, such robotic agents’ impact on customer perceptions and feedback remains underexplored. Existing literature suggests that service delivery robots yield both positive and negative outcomes. Through three randomized lab and field experiments, we empirically investigate whether and how interactions with robotic versus human service agents influence consumers’ complaint and self-disclosure behavior, uncover the underlying mechanism, and identify the boundary conditions. Our study contributes to the service automation literature by identifying mechanisms that shape customer interactions and reactions to robotic service agents. Additionally, we highlight practical implications for deploying robotic agents efficiently, providing insights for managers to enhance customer experience and reduce negative online feedback in service operations.
