Customers’ perceptions toward service robots at restaurants: The moderating role of consumer innovativeness and the mediating role of perceived hedonic benefits

ABSTRACT

The number of restaurants that have added service robots to their operation has increased recently; however, research on their impact on customers’ perceptions and intentions is scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate, while considering consumer innovativeness, the effects of customers’ perceived service newness and hedonic benefits on their perceived service quality and value and, consequently, their willingness to select a restaurant that uses robot services. Data were collected from 675 respondents who watched a video about service robots at restaurants. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression were used to analyze data. The results indicated that participants’ perceived service newness influenced their perceived hedonic benefits directly and their perceived service quality indirectly. Perceived service newness negatively influenced customers’ perceived value, and perceived value enhanced their willingness to select a restaurant with service robots. It was also found that consumer innovativeness moderated the relationship between perceived hedonic benefits and perceived service quality.

KEYWORDS:

• Service robots
• perceived service newness
• perceived hedonic benefits
• perceived value
• perceived service quality
• consumer innovativeness

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).