The case of service robots and customer experience
- Hotel in Japan fired half of their robot workforce → as robots caused a disservice to
consumers
o Kept waking up the guest thinking there’s danger when they would hear any noise
o Cost or robot is meant to deter cost of the labour
- Tech has advanced so much
o Created AI, AR, VR
▪ VR = Metaverse
o Introduced industrial robots and service robots from AI
▪ Industrial = mechanical ones, manufacturing industries
▪ Service = interface with humans, automated security, clean rooms,
previously configured to complete basic and repetitive tasks
- Global service robot market:
o 2022: $15.87bn
o 2030: $187.33bn
- Categories of service robots:
o Professional: Defence, field, medical, logistic, maintenance
o Personal: social, domestic, research, assistance, therapeutic
- Humanoid robots:
o Robots that look exactly like humans e.g. Sophia
o Configured to mimic authentic human movements, expressions and interactions ~
can express emotional + feelings as humans do
- Benefits of humanoid robots to human race
o Healthcare – completing simple tasks
o Efficiency and productivity
o Safety – can be used for protection
o Encourages innovation in AI technology – leads to creation of new industries and
job opportunities in research, development and maintenance
o Can perform range of tasks
o Enhance learning and training
- Cons of humanoids:
o Individual: privacy issues ~ facial recognition, data processing, misuse of break of
personal information
o Organisational:
▪ High cost of implementation ~ complex engineering, highly advanced tech,
slow adoption
▪ Service robot failure ~ customer distrust, customer dissatisfaction,
negatively affects firm’s profits
o Societal: ethical concerns ~ risk for human workforce, difficult to regulate, societal
seclusion
- Cheng et al. (2022)
- Theoretical underpinnings:
o Anthropomorphism – Epley et al., 2002
o Perceived value theory – Huang et al., 2022
o Social exchange theory – Blau, 1964
o Speciesism – Fiestas Lopez Guido et al., 2024
- Hotel in Japan fired half of their robot workforce → as robots caused a disservice to
consumers
o Kept waking up the guest thinking there’s danger when they would hear any noise
o Cost or robot is meant to deter cost of the labour
- Tech has advanced so much
o Created AI, AR, VR
▪ VR = Metaverse
o Introduced industrial robots and service robots from AI
▪ Industrial = mechanical ones, manufacturing industries
▪ Service = interface with humans, automated security, clean rooms,
previously configured to complete basic and repetitive tasks
- Global service robot market:
o 2022: $15.87bn
o 2030: $187.33bn
- Categories of service robots:
o Professional: Defence, field, medical, logistic, maintenance
o Personal: social, domestic, research, assistance, therapeutic
- Humanoid robots:
o Robots that look exactly like humans e.g. Sophia
o Configured to mimic authentic human movements, expressions and interactions ~
can express emotional + feelings as humans do
- Benefits of humanoid robots to human race
o Healthcare – completing simple tasks
o Efficiency and productivity
o Safety – can be used for protection
o Encourages innovation in AI technology – leads to creation of new industries and
job opportunities in research, development and maintenance
o Can perform range of tasks
o Enhance learning and training
- Cons of humanoids:
o Individual: privacy issues ~ facial recognition, data processing, misuse of break of
personal information
o Organisational:
▪ High cost of implementation ~ complex engineering, highly advanced tech,
slow adoption
▪ Service robot failure ~ customer distrust, customer dissatisfaction,
negatively affects firm’s profits
o Societal: ethical concerns ~ risk for human workforce, difficult to regulate, societal
seclusion
- Cheng et al. (2022)
- Theoretical underpinnings:
o Anthropomorphism – Epley et al., 2002
o Perceived value theory – Huang et al., 2022
o Social exchange theory – Blau, 1964
o Speciesism – Fiestas Lopez Guido et al., 2024
