Improved or decreased? Customer experience with self-service technology versus human service in hotels in China

ABSTRACT

Self-service technologies (SSTs) are becoming a trend and can potentially supplement or replace human services. However, the experiential aspects on which SSTs outperform human services remain unclear. This research adopted a sequential mixed method (60 in-depth interviews followed by two survey rounds) to evaluate the relative advantages of technology over humans. First, a commensurate measurement scale (5 dimensions covering 22 items) for customer experience with SSTs and human services was developed. Quantitative findings revealed that customers reported better actional and fresh experiences with SSTs, while hoteliers cited SSTs as only outperforming human staff in providing fresh experiences. Moreover, customers rated their experiences significantly lower than hoteliers’ perceptions. These findings enrich knowledge of the experiential changes elicited by SSTs and the differences between customer expressed experience and hoteliers’ perceptions of customer experience. Practical implications were also discussed.

自助服务技术正在成为一种趋势: 有可能补充或取代人工服务。 然而, 相较于人工服务, 自助服务技术在哪些方面会提高客户体验尚不清楚。 本研究采用混合方法 (60人次深度谈+2 轮问卷调查) 来评估技术相对于人类的优势。 首先, 本研究构建了可以同时用来测量自助服务技术和人工服务客户体验的量表 (5个维度, 22个测量项目)。 定量研究结果显示, 顾客通过自助服务技术获得了更好的行动体验和新鲜体验, 而酒店经营者认为自助服务技术仅在提供新鲜体验方面优于人类员工。 此外, 顾客对其体验的评价明显低于酒店经营者的感知。 这些研究发现丰富了以下相关知识: 自助服务技术如何改变客户体验, 以及顾客体验和酒店经营者对顾客体验的感知之间的差异。 本研究也讨论了研究结果的实践意义。

KEYWORDS:

• Customer experience
• self-service technology
• human services
• commensurate measurement
• experience changes
• hotel

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Young Academic Talents Programme of Beijing International Studies University, Beijing, China ;The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.