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Purpose: The development of service automation continues to underpin the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors providing benefits for both customers and service companies. The purpose of this chapter is to showcase the practice of self-service technology (SST) usage in the contemporary tourism and hospitality sectors and present a conceptual framework of customer SST adoption.

Design/Methodology/Approach: This chapter offers an examination of theory, research and practice in relation to SST usage in tourism, highlighting the benefits and drawbacks arising for both customers and service providers. Since the benefits are achieved only if SSTs gain effective adoption with customers, this chapter focuses on concepts underpinning the study of customer SST adoption. Drawing on SST adoption factors and SST customer roles, a conceptual framework of SST adoption is discussed.

Findings/Practical Implications: This chapter examines the principles and practice underpinning the usage of self-service technologies in the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, with specific reference to customer SST roles in co-creation. The customer SST roles provide a more detailed and nuanced picture of the customer perspective on SST usage. These nuanced roles are captured in a conceptual framework which seeks to further refine the understanding of customer SST adoption.

Research Implications & Originality/Value: The framework provides a useful foundation for further research with a focus on customer empowerment in SSTs. The future development of service automation will require a balance between the delivery of a personalised and smarter customer experience and technology applications that are unobtrusive and which do not pose any ethical or privacy concerns.

Understanding customers’ experiences with self-service technology (SST) is of high importance to service research. Previous research, however, has mainly focused on customers who are adept in using SST services. This study aims to provide insights into the under-researched field of the experiences of customers’ with difficulties in using SST.

Drawing on self-determination theory, the role of motivational aspects in SST usage behavior is proposed. A model involving perceived needs and intrinsic motivation is developed and empirically tested in a survey among 213 American customers with difficulties using SST in restaurant service settings.

The results show that customers’ perceived competence strongly influences their motivation to engage with SST, followed by autonomy and relatedness. Results also find the positive and significant impact of intrinsic motivation on satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Finally, multi-group analysis is performed to examine differences between customers with low and high technology anxiety. Results show that perceived autonomy and competence from SST usage are strong indicators among customers with low technology anxiety, and that relatedness is a major determinant of intrinsic motivation among customers with high technology anxiety.

As a neglected area of research has been in customers who have difficulty in using SST, the findings of this study provide useful guidelines to address customers’ difficulties in using SST.

了解客户对自助服务技术（SST）的体验对于服务研究非常重要。然而, 以往的研究主要关注于熟练使用SST服务的客户。本文探索了使用SST存在困难的客户的体验, 为这个尚未被研究的领域提供见解。

基于自我决定理论, 本研究提出了SST使用行为中动机方面的假想, 并设计了一个包含感知需求和内在动机的模型。通过对213名在餐厅服务环境中使用SST存在困难的美国客户进行调查, 该模型得到了实证测试。

结果显示, 客户的感知能力强烈影响他们使用SST的动机, 其次是自主性和关联感。结果还发现, 内在动机对满意度和行为意图有积极而显著的影响。最后, 本研究进行了多组分析, 以检查技术焦虑程度高和低的客户之间的差异。结果显示, 在技术焦虑程度低的客户中, SST使用的自主性和能力是强烈的指标, 而在技术焦虑程度高的客户中, 关联感是内在动机的主要决定因素。

由于以前的研究主要关注于熟练使用SST服务的客户, 因此SST使用存在困难的客户是一个被忽视的研究领域。本研究的发现为解决客户在使用SST方面的困难提供了重要的指导。

This study aims to research the prediction performance of the bifurcation approach with different base models in different kinds of turbulent flows with rotation and curvature.

The k−ω and Shear-Stress Transport (SST) k−ω models are modified by using the complete eddy viscosity coefficient expression, and the latter is modified by using two sets of model coefficients. The two bifurcation models were tested in three cases: rotating channel flow with system rotation, Taylor–Couette flow with wall rotation and curvature effect and swirling flow through an abrupt axisymmetric expansion with inlet swirling flow.

In these flows, the bifurcation approach can significantly improve the prediction performance of the base model in the fluctuation velocity. The deviation of the BSkO model is slightly superior to the BkO model by about 2% in the Taylor–Couette flow. The prediction effect of the root-mean-square (RMS) velocity of the BSkO model increases by about 4–5% as the number of grids increases about 2.37 times, and the best is the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) grid used. Finally, compared with the SST k−ω model, the average iteration time of the SST with curvature correction (SST-CC), bifurcation k−ω (BkO) and bifurcation SST k−ω (BSkO) models increased by 27.7%, 86.9% and 62.3%, respectively.

This study is helpful to understand further the application of the bifurcation method in the turbulence model.

The service recovery literature provides little guidance to firms on how users of self-service technology (SST) perceive assistance provided by human and non-human service agents following a service obstacle. This research responds by addressing two important research questions about SST recovery: (1) how are perceptions of assistance provided following a service obstacle influenced by a customer's psychological needs? and (2) does supporting the psychological needs of customers positively impact continuance intentions following a service obstacle?

Data are collected to address the research questions via five experiments that explore how assistance provided by a non-human (vs human vs no assistance) service agent contributes to perceptions of psychological support and continuance intentions following a service obstacle while volitionally using SST.

The results show that while users of SST would prefer to do so without an obstacle requiring intervention of a service agent, if assistance is required then the psychological need support elicited from a non-human service agent was vital to an effective recovery. Further, the findings highlight some boundary conditions for this relationship, with the impact of customer perceived need support on continuance intentions found to be sensitive to fit between the task and assistance provided and the complexity of the task being completed.

Much of the prior service recovery literature has emphasized the different types of tactics that can be used (e.g. apologizing, monetary compensation and explaining what happened), failing to appreciate the role of different types of service agents or the underlying psychological process that explain the relative merit of such tactics. The present research shows that for these tactics to influence continuance intentions, they must be provided by a relevant service agent and support a customer's psychological need for autonomy, competence and relatedness. The hypothesized impact of psychological need support on continuance intentions was also observed to be contingent upon the fit between the task and the type of assistance provided, where the level of task complexity attenuated this fit.

The purpose of the present study is to examine the effect of waiting lines on customers’ decisions between using a self-service alternative and using a service employee. As self-service technologies are expensive and time-consuming to design and implement, service providers need to understand what drives customers to use them. Service operators have the most control over waiting lines and flexibility in expanding capacity, either by adding service employees or by adding self-service kiosks.

The study used online scenario-based surveys following a 4 (number of customers waiting for the self-service technology) × 4 (number of customers waiting for the service employee) design. A binary dependent variable was used to record participants’ choice of service delivery alternative.

Using logistic regression, the authors found that customers are increasingly motivated to use self-service technology as the waiting line for the service employee grows longer. This effect is influenced by perceived usefulness, anticipated quality of the self-service technology, need for interaction and technology anxiety.

This study should be replicated in a real-world setting where actual behavior, and not only intention, can be measured.

The study provides guidance on how service providers can design their service to take advantage of the motivating effect of waiting lines on usage of self-service technology.

The present study is the first to combine a scenario-based experiment with a binary dependent variable to isolate the impact of waiting lines on the choice between using a self-service technology and using a service employee. The use of the binary dependent variable overcomes the ambiguity of extrapolating from a continuous measure of intention to draw conclusions about behavior, a binary variable.

This paper investigates self‐service technology (SST) encounters among Canadian B2B (business‐to‐business) customers. It provides an understanding of key determinants of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. This research also explores issues relating to service recovery in case of SST failure and effects of favorable/ unfavorable SST encounters on business relationships. The study finds that B2B customers experience satisfaction from different sources as compared to B2C customers. These sources include speed, process efficiency and cost savings. Service recovery has been found to be a critical problem with regards to SST.

A new literature is emerging around the role of self‐service technologies (SSTs) such as airline ticketing machines, automatic teller machines, and computer‐based shopping services in the strategic offering of service providers. SSTs allow (or force) consumers to help produce their own service encounters via machine interaction rather than by interacting with a firm’s service personnel. Firms which introduce SSTs wish to gain rapid acceptance and usage of these technologies by potential consumers. This study investigates whether the provision of more personal control to consumers can reduce their perceived risk, enhance the perceived value of the SST, and induce greater adoption intention associated with the innovation. Propositions are tested using an experiment. Multiple analysis of covariance and follow‐up tests either fully or partially supported 11 out of 12 hypotheses. A set of managerial implications and recommendations is provided.

The purpose of this study is to build on prior work to empirically test the possible effects of control‐related consumer difference variables on the decision to use self‐service technology (SSTs) in three different contexts. Specifically, the paper seeks to examine potential effects of locus of control, autonomy, self‐efficacy, technology anxiety and time pressure on the SST usage decision in a shopping, a library and a hotel situation.

The design of the study was empirical. Data for the study came from 187 college students in classes from four different departments (business, computer science, language, and music departments) in a southern regional university.

Overall, the results suggest that regardless of individual need for control and achievements, highly techno phobic consumers and those with an enduring attitude that all events in life are predestined may be generally more disposed than others to prefer check‐out service personnel rather than self‐service check‐out machines, depending on the situation.

The major limitation of this study is that respondents were primarily students, which limits the generalizability of the study. However, the study provides useful information about customer characteristics to target for service managers who are considering adopting SST options or are planning a SST improvement program.

This study helps augment earlier studies developed to understand the importance of examining consumer traits in the context of the specific situation, especially when deploying new SSTs.

Customers often think that innovations, such as self-service technologies (SSTs), are introduced by service providers to cut costs rather than extend customer service levels. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how customers use such attributions to adjust their perceptions of relational value.

Drawing on attribution and relationship marketing theories, this study proposes a conceptual model that includes benefit and cost attributions, their antecedents, and consequences. Survey data came from customers of a supermarket that recently introduced self-scanning technology.

Attributions mediate the impact of SST performance on relational value. This value is highest for customers with high-benefit and low-cost attributions; customers with low-benefit and low-cost attributions exhibit detrimental effects on the exchange relationship with the firm. Characterized by low self-efficacy, low education, and low spending, these latter customers appear ambivalent and possibly confused about the provider’s motives for introducing SST.

This research has important implications for service managers responsible for communicating technological innovations to customers. A clear reason for the introduction should be provided, to stimulate customers’ attribution and prevent ambivalence among those with low self-efficacy and low education.

Most SST research focusses on adoption, non-adoption, and disadoption. The more subtle responses by customers facing a new SST and the consequences for the customer-provider exchange relationship, as addressed herein, have been left largely unexplored.