@article{2024:rancati:young_cust,
title = {Young Customer Responses to Service Robots vs. Humans in Luxury Retail: A Multidisciplinary Approach},
year = {2024},
note = {Luxury retailers are increasingly considering the introduction of
service robots in their stores to enhance the value proposition and
reshape the dynamics of both the service encounter and the customer
experience. Although the literature recognizes the social presence of
robots in service encounters, little empirical research compares
humans and service robots related to luxury. In addition, further
research is needed to investigate the emotional responses of young
customers, like Generation Z, to a technology-infused servicescape and
to explore the value of service robots as a social presence in luxury
stores. A 2×2 mixed methods experimental design was developed to test
the research hypotheses. The study was conducted in a laboratory with
116 participants randomly assigned to one of four experimental
conditions: approaching vs. non-approaching behavior with a service
robot or a human sales assistant. Self-reports and neurophysiological
responses (skin conductance) were collected to measure their responses
during the service encounter. The results show that a human or a
service robot approaching the customer can lead to greater positive
affective states and emotional responses than a human or a service
robot not approaching. In addition, we found that young customers do
not differentiate between human sales assistants and service robots.
However, the customers’ level of immersion in the flow,
understanding of the message, and happiness are higher with a human
sales assistant. Finally, the absence of any interaction
(non-approaching) during the service encounter leads to a negative
reaction to a human sales assistant compared to a service robot,
showing the importance of personalized and deep connections in luxury
service.},
journal = {Marketing ZFP},
pages = {3--19},
author = {Rancati, Gaia and Bartolotta, Sabrina and Mauri, Maurizio and Schultz, Carsten D. and Chirico, Alice and Gaggioli, Andrea},
volume = {46},
number = {2}
}