Impacts of service robots on service quality

With rapid advances in technologies, especially in artificial intelligence, smart sensors, big data analytics, and robotics, the service industry began introducing robots to perform a variety of functions. While the main purpose of deploying robots has been productivity improvement, the current COVID-19 pandemic has brought more urgent purpose, providing contactless service for social distancing. This study explores the service quality provided by robots based on real data in a hotel setting. A sample of 201 guests provided their expected service quality by robots and the actual performance experience after the service. We analyzed this relationship using importance performance analysis (IPA) and the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The results revealed that customers’ top priorities for robots’ service quality are assurance and reliability, while tangible and empathy were not as important. Customers were not satisfied with robots’ responsiveness, but this construct was found to be a low priority.