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This study aims to answer the following question: How can customer readiness be instrumental in non-technology-based service delivery?

Using a field study, this research examines the role of customer readiness in customer participation in non-technology-based service delivery and its indirect effects on such customer outcomes as perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer willingness to recommend.

The results show that customer readiness is a second-order construct. It has a significant impact on customer participation in service delivery, which in turn impacts three key service outcomes: customer perceived service quality, customer satisfaction and customer willingness to recommend. Four factors influencing customer readiness (consumer previous experience, consumer desire for control, consumer perceived risk and customer organizational socialization) are also empirically evaluated.

Some limitations of the study are related to sample size and use of a type of services. The research tested 13 hypotheses with a limited sample size in one context. A better representation of the population and a more generalizable outcome require more representative samples and studies in various contexts such as banking, hotel services or health care services. This study demonstrated the importance of customer readiness for effective participation in non-technology-based service delivery; it does not address the impact of customer readiness on participation in the context of technology-based services. Future research may also shed light on when and why customers choose technology-based services versus non-technology-based services.

Effective customer participation in service delivery can, and should, benefit from boosting customer readiness.

This research shows the impact of customer readiness on non-technology-based service delivery, more specifically, the impact of customer readiness on customer participation in this type of service delivery. Customer readiness has been found to be beneficial in the provision of technology-based services; yet, its role in the provision of non-technology-based services has not been thoroughly evaluated.

For successful servitization, manufacturing firms must understand how their customers adopt new services. The purpose of this paper is to explore customers’ readiness for a manufacturer’s new services to complement its goods. The goal is to increase knowledge of the aspects that manufacturers should consider when bringing new kinds of services to market.

A qualitative case study design is used to analyze readiness for services and interest in service adoption in three customer firms of a manufacturer. The interview data were collected from 14 persons at customer sites and were content analyzed.

The results show that readiness – a concept that is often used in the field of technology – is relevant also for the service adoption process. In a business-to-business context, readiness for service adoption concerns the individual and organizational levels, and hence a new dimension of organizational culture and habits had to be added to the concept that originally focuses on individuals. People consider different factors when making consecutive decisions during the service adoption process and these factors can vary even within a company. The cornerstone for new service adoption is the customer firm’s actual need for the service.

The results offer new knowledge about service adoption in a business-to-business context by taking a customer firm’s perspective. They, thus, complement previous studies on the supplier perspective of servitization and service adoption in consumer business. The contributions help manufacturers focus their efforts when bringing new services to market.

Manufacturing firms delivering complex products and systems are increasingly offering advanced data-based services. Customers, however, are not always willing to adopt manufacturers’ advanced services, so manufacturers need knowledge of how to promote customers’ service readiness. The purpose of this paper is to further develop the concept of service readiness by proposing a framework for industrial customers’ organizational dimension of service readiness and by increasing the understanding of the conditions underpinning that service readiness.

This case study explores service readiness among customers of a manufacturer delivering complex systems and related services. Interviews were conducted within the company and among key customers as the potential users of those services.

Customers use versatile processes, engage multiple people and use different evaluation criteria when considering adoption of data-based services. The organizational component of service readiness involves requirements in the service context, supplier relations and organizational habits and culture. Actions are proposed for manufacturers to promote customers’ readiness for new services.

The research is limited through its qualitative design and case selection. Mapping of the organizational dimension of service readiness further develops the concept of service readiness and offers a framework for further research. This research offers novel understanding of organization-level service adoption to complement individual-centric technology adoption.

New knowledge is offered to manufacturing firms about customers’ challenges and requirements in adopting advanced services. This knowledge will help manufacturers to support customers and develop the activities of their own salespeople when introducing advanced services.

The findings expose the contents of the organizational dimension of customers’ service readiness. The study provides a more complete picture of service readiness and shows it to be a multilayered concept with interdependencies between its levels, between individuals in customer organizations and even between the manufacturer and the customer organization.

This study focuses on the factors that determine the readiness of hotels to implement customer relationship management (CRM) in hotels within the context of Ghana. The sample consisted of 292 employees (restaurant managers, customer service officers, customer relations' officers, and marketing managers) from 3- to 5-star hotels. The study adopted a quantitative deductive approach to collected data using cross-sectional survey, which was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that management change initiatives and culture have significant impact on organizational readiness to implement CRM in hotels, specifically Ghana. Also, the organizational culture partly mediates management change initiatives and organizational readiness to implement CRM activities. On the other hand, use of technology proved not to mediate management change initiatives and organizational readiness as the relationship proved not to be significant. Also, culture and use of technology have not mediated management change initiatives and organizational readiness as the indirect path proved not to be significant. The outcomes have useful implications for CRM adoption by hotel managers.

This article analyzes the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) stimuli on customer engagement as well as on value co-creation. The moderating role played by customer ability readiness is also examined.

Total 426 questioners are collected from the customers who consumed intelligent service robot.

First, the perceived interactivity (PI) of AI stimuli have a significant positive impact on value co-creation; second, customer engagement plays a mediating effect on the relationship between PI and value co-creation; finally, customer ability readiness has a positive moderating effect on the relationship between AI stimuli, customer engagement and value co-creation.

Firstly, the method of questionnaire survey has certain limitations, In future research, more advanced survey methods (such as social perception calculations) can be used to make survey samples more comprehensive and analysis results more accurate. Secondly, the paper used a single-dimensional test for the two variables of customer engagement and value co-creation. Future research should divide the dimensions of customer engagement and value co-creation into more specific way. Finally, this study lacks research on the regulatory effect of customer ability readiness and further division of customer readiness.

First, this paper uses the arousal theory to participate in marketing theory and value co-creation theory, which is the cross and fusion of theory, and also the enrichment and expansion of the existing theoretical research, with a certain theoretical innovation. Second, based on previous research, this research developed and designed a measurement scale for AI stimuli. Finally, through empirical research, it is found that the perceived personalization of AI stimuli does not have a significant direct effect on value co-creation, which is a new views and insight.

First, when using intelligent customer service robots, companies should pay attention to improving the PI and personalization of intelligent customer service robots. Second, companies should attach importance to the development environment of customer engagement, proactively and effectively identify customer needs. Finally, companies should provide customers with a good support atmosphere, publicize and explain in advance the use of intelligent customer service robots to increase their confidence.

The study develops a scale of AI stimuli and is among the first to integrate and examine the inter-relationships between customer engagement, customer ability, and value co-creation from the increasingly important phenomenological perspective of AI.

The purpose of this paper is to propose that customer readiness and web-channel readiness for internet banking (IB) adoption are the twin universal determinants of retail customers’ attitudes and intention towards IB-adoption. The paper delineates IB-readiness as the state of preparedness, ability, and willingness to engage in IB, and the authors argue that both the potential banking customer and the financial institution's web-channel must be equally ready before IB-adoption can occur. This paper presents the results of the initial test of the IB-readiness model with a sample of retail banking customers in Scotland.

Nine customer-related and ten channel-related predictor-variables isolated from existing literature were tested for their effects on attitude and intention towards IB-adoption. Seven demographic mediators were also tested for their impacts on the effects of the predictor-variables on attitude and intention. A sample of 1,000 customers was surveyed. Multiple regression and logistic regression analyses were used to test the influence of the predictors and mediators.

Of the seven mediators, only three were significant. Also, only eight of the original 19 predictor-variables were significant, with the impact of mediation, in determining customer attitude and intention towards IB-adoption.

The results present some consumer behaviour and marketing communications implications for bank marketing. To convince potential customers to adopt and continue using IB, bank marketers must ensure that the eight predictors validated in this study are facilitated and sustained.

A valuable contribution of the paper to the global IB-adoption theory is an equal evaluation model of potential universal antecedents of IB-adoption – the “EQUAEVAL” – which can be further-tested in future cross-national research.

This paper aims to establish and empirically investigate a research model examining the effect of four dimensions of the technology readiness index – optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity – on customer engagement that further influences purchase intention in the context of online shopping through artificial intelligence voice assistants (AI VAs).

Data were collected in India from 429 customers in a self-administered online survey. Data analysis uses the structural equation modelling technique.

Technology readiness dimensions, e.g. optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity, are critical factors driving customer engagement. Customer engagement further results in purchase intention in online shopping through AI VAs.

This study adds to the literature by understanding how customers’ technology readiness levels drive engagement and purchase intention. However, this study includes customer engagement as a unidimensional construct. Further research can consist of customer engagement as a multidimensional construct.

The findings offer guidelines for e-retailers to enhance customer engagement that matches their personality traits, thereby strengthening their purchase intention through AI VAs.

The research contributes to the literature by empirically investigating a research model, revealing optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity as crucial parameters for customer engagement and purchase intention.

The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought intelligent online shopping experiences to customers. AI-powered retail platforms deliver personalized shopping experiences through tailored recommendations, promotions and assistance. Given the increasing preference for online shopping, it is crucial to explore methods to optimize the adoption of AI-powered retail platforms. To address this, this study aims to examine the impact of technology readiness motivators (optimism and innovativeness) and inhibitors (discomfort and insecurity) on perceived trust, perceived usefulness and purchase intention toward AI-powered retail platforms.

Data were collected from 276 customers in Egypt, primarily from the millennial and Gen Z demographic segments. The collected data were then analyzed using the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

The findings revealed that optimism, innovativeness and discomfort significantly influence perceived trust, while optimism, insecurity and perceived trust significantly influence perceived usefulness. Both perceived trust and usefulness are significant predictors of purchase intention. Perceived trust mediates the effects of technology readiness motivators on perceived usefulness and purchase intention. Moreover, perceived usefulness mediates the effects of technology readiness motivators, insecurity and perceived trust on purchase intention.

To date, there are few investigations regarding the acceptance and adoption of AI-powered retail platforms in developing countries. Thus, this study offers valuable theoretical and practical implications in the context of smart retail technology adoption.

Hospitality businesses are changing digitally to meet customer demands, provide value and stay competitive. Prior hospitality studies examined customers’ technology acceptance rather than digital technology readiness and acceptance. In addition, no studies have explored how restaurant customers’ digital transformation influences hedonic and utilitarian values and customer well-being. Therefore, this study aims to examine how fast-food restaurant customers’ digital transformation (i.e. technical readiness and acceptance) influences their perceived value and well-being.

This study provides a conceptual framework with six constructs. The data for this study were collected from fast-food restaurant customers in Egypt using a self-administered questionnaire.

According to the findings, customers’ technical readiness for digital transformation in fast-food restaurants substantially impacts their technology acceptance. In addition, customers’ perceived hedonic and utilitarian values are greatly influenced by their acceptance of fast-food restaurant digital technologies, and these perceived values significantly impact customer well-being.

This study presents several suggestions to improve customers’ readiness for digital transformation in fast-food restaurants and the impact on their technology acceptance and perceived value and well-being. Also, this study’s results could impact fast-food restaurants’ decisions to adopt new digital technologies (e.g. service robots) for their customers.

The study adds to the existing literature review by attempting to present a comprehensive picture of fast-food restaurant customers’ digital transformation (i.e. technical readiness and acceptance) and its impact on customers’ perceived values. A potential antecedent of fast-food restaurant customers’ well-being was also investigated: perceived hedonic and utilitarian values.

酒店业正在数字化转型, 以满足顾客需求、提供价值并保持竞争力。之前的酒店业研究主要关注顾客对技术的接受程度, 而不是数字技术准备和接受程度。此外, 没有研究探讨餐厅顾客的数字化转型如何影响享乐和功利价值以及顾客的幸福感。因此, 本研究旨在探讨快餐餐厅顾客的数字化转型（技术准备和接受程度）如何影响他们的感知价值和幸福感。

本研究提供了一个概念框架, 包括六个构面。本研究的数据通过自行填写问卷的方式从埃及的快餐餐厅顾客中收集。

根据研究结果, 快餐餐厅顾客的数字化转型技术准备程度显著影响其对数字技术的接受程度。此外, 快餐餐厅顾客对数字技术的接受程度极大地影响他们对享乐和功利价值的感知, 并且这些感知价值对顾客的幸福感产生显著影响。

本研究试图呈现出一个全面的快餐餐厅顾客的数字化转型（技术准备和接受程度）对顾客感知价值的影响机制。同时, 本研究还调查了快餐餐厅顾客幸福感的潜在前因：感知的享乐和功利价值。

本研究提出了一些建议, 以提高快餐餐厅顾客对数字化转型的准备程度, 并对他们的技术接受程度、感知价值和幸福感产生影响。此外, 本研究的结果会影响快餐餐厅采用新的数字技术（例如服务机器人）来为顾客提供服务的决策。

Customer engagement (CE) literature features divergent definitions and conceptualizations. To clarify its meaning, antecedents and outcomes, this paper aims to propose that psychological customer engagement (PCE) is the mechanism by which customers’ readiness to engage influences behavioral customer engagement (BCE) in the form of in-role and extra-role behaviors, which then affect customers’ goal attainment, satisfaction and retention.

Set in the fitness center industry, this study combines perceptual data (from customers) and behavioral data (from the fitness center) to reveal a hierarchy of effects: customer readiness to PCE to BCE to customer goal attainment, satisfaction and retention.

Customer readiness variables (role clarity, ability, motivation) influence in-role and extra-role BCE directly and indirectly through PCE. Extra-role BCE is associated with goal attainment and satisfaction, and the latter is linked to customer retention. In-role BCE is associated with goal attainment only.

The proposed integrative model bridges the psychological–behavioral divide in CE literature and encourages the adoption of a broader nomological network that accounts for the effects of customers’ characteristics and actions on their goal attainment, satisfaction and retention.

Managers can enhance CE by improving customer role clarity, ability and motivation. Relative to in-role BCE, extra-role BCE appears more critical because it affects both goal attainment and satisfaction directly and retention indirectly.

The novel integrative approach, combining BCE and PCE in a single model, also provides a consumer-oriented view on CE, which establishes a more comprehensive perspective, as summarized in the proposed model of consumer engagement.