Customer experiences with service robots in hotels: a review and research agenda

Abstract

This study consolidates the limited research on real-life customer experiences with hotels that have integrated service robots (SR) grounded in the Usability, Social Acceptance, User experience, and Societal Impact (USUS) Framework. Employing a systematic and thematic review across 42 articles, the findings reveal discrepancies in customer experience (CX) across dimensions like embodiment, emotions, human-oriented perceptions, security, and co-experience. Theoretically, the results suggest that long-term CX may be more grounded in pragmatic aspects rather than SR novelty. The review also cautions against indiscriminate SR integration, which can lead to unpredictable CX. The study contributes to academic discourse by identifying critical CX aspects, providing a future research agenda, and a foundation for developing robust theoretical frameworks. For practitioners, the insights offer guidance on effectively integrating AI technologies to enhance CX, such as focusing on SR functionality, optimal SR-human service offerings, and considering evolving CX for innovative technological integrations in hotels.