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1 – 10 of 217Petranka Kelly, Jennifer Lawlor and Michael Mulvey
Purpose: The development of service automation continues to underpin the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors providing benefits for both customers and service companies. The…
Abstract
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.
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Future service interactions are anticipated to use humanoid robots in a society that is shifting to a digitalized era. Currently, it is evident that many businesses are replacing…
Abstract
Purpose
Future service interactions are anticipated to use humanoid robots in a society that is shifting to a digitalized era. Currently, it is evident that many businesses are replacing service interactions with self-service technologies (SSTs). This movement creates substantial societal changes that researchers have not paid sufficient attention to comprehend. In this setting, the purpose of this study is to examine the social drivers that influence customer mobility toward co-creating value via SSTs. The study also seeks to discover variations in customers' willingness and capacity to adopt SSTs.
Design/methodology/approach
To fulfill the research aims, a qualitative technique was adopted, with semistructured interviews conducted with 25 SST users from varied demographic backgrounds. To recruit individuals for the study, a nonprobabilistic purposeful sampling technique was adopted, with the goal of employing information-rich instances. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Findings
The study identified eight social drivers that are important in the customer transition toward co-creating value with SSTs. According to the study, SSTs are characterized as a social trend in which adoption is accepted (social norm) and modifies social connections in a new direction. Using SSTs has evolved into a socializing tool that gives people social acknowledgment. Some people see SSTs as social pressure, putting them at a disadvantage if they do not adopt. People, on the other hand, acquire sufficient social support and independence to use SSTs. Customers were categorized into four groups depending on their willingness and ability to embrace SSTs: trendsetters, dreamers, old-fashioned and stragglers.
Practical implications
In practice, service providers can use this knowledge to successfully promote their SSTs and create enhanced client experiences through technological interfaces.
Originality/value
The study adds new knowledge by identifying social determinants in customer shifts toward SSTs, a phenomenon that has not been studied previously, and it adds to marketing theory by proposing a typology to group customers based on their ability and willingness to embrace SSTs.
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Wei Wei, Edwin N. Torres and Nan Hua
The purpose of this paper is to draw upon the theory of consumption values and the experiential value scale to develop a conceptual model concerning hospitality customer’s use of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to draw upon the theory of consumption values and the experiential value scale to develop a conceptual model concerning hospitality customer’s use of self-service technologies (SSTs) and their impact on consumers’ service experience.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaires were administered to 220 hotel and restaurant customers. The researchers tested the hypotheses by using descriptive analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis.
Findings
Both extrinsic and intrinsic attributes of SSTs influence consumers’ satisfaction with SST usage significantly, while the extrinsic attributes play a stronger role. It is worth noting that while the intrinsic attributes have a significant impact on consumers’ transcendent service experience, the extrinsic attributes negatively influence such experience.
Practical implications
The findings help managers create effective strategies to better match consumers’ needs and to deliver more customized self-service experience. The role of SSTs can be expanded beyond functional attributes to satisfy consumers’ curiosity, foster customer–customer interactions and personalize consumer experience.
Originality/value
Although most SSTs research focus on technology adoption intention, features, functionality and benefits to the service provider, this research is among the first attempts to examine the role of SSTs in creating better consumer experience. The bidimensional conceptualization of SSTs experience developed in this research suggests that SSTs in the hotel and restaurant sector should be utilized for reasons beyond their utilitarian attributes: SSTs should be designed to help create a transcendent service experience.
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Johanna Gummerus, Michaela Lipkin, Apramey Dube and Kristina Heinonen
This study aims to introduce and characterize a specific form of self-service technology (SST), customer self-service devices (SSDs), as well as propose and apply a classification…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to introduce and characterize a specific form of self-service technology (SST), customer self-service devices (SSDs), as well as propose and apply a classification scheme of SSDs to encourage future research on such SSTs.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on conceptual development of customer SSDs and exploratory qualitative insight from representatives of companies offering various types of SSDs.
Findings
This paper introduces SSDs as customer-possessed and controlled smart service devices aiming to solve problems from the customer’s perspective, often within completely new, customer-defined service processes and ecosystems. SSDs are not confined to the company-controlled service environment, and customers may thus use them wherever and whenever they so wish. The study characterizes SSDs based on service and customer use features, as well as on the subject of the service act (self/other vs belongings) and nature of service act (monitoring vs acting).
Research limitations/implications
This study is limited to conceptual exploration with qualitative insights from six companies. Future research is needed to empirically study different SSDs by using both qualitative and quantitative approaches in various settings.
Originality/value
The paper conceptualizes SSDs as an extension to the traditional SST framework. It contributes to the understanding of how personal handheld devices can contribute to customer experiences. It provides research directions to stimulate further research in SSTs.
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Arun Kumar Kaushik and Zillur Rahman
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the various antecedent beliefs predicting customers’ attitudes toward, and adoption of, self-service technologies (SSTs) available in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the various antecedent beliefs predicting customers’ attitudes toward, and adoption of, self-service technologies (SSTs) available in the banking industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A descriptive research design with survey approach is used to develop and test a conceptual model of adoption for all three self-service banking technologies (SSBTs).
Findings
The results of the comparative analysis showed that antecedent beliefs affecting adopters’ attitude vary across different SSBTs. It extends and tests the technology acceptance model (TAM) by including two additional antecedents from the theories of adoption behavior.
Research limitations/implications
All three SSBTs included in the paper are from the banking industry, which limits the generalizability of the findings to other industries. Many other limitations were also reported.
Practical implications
The findings reveal why and how customers decide to adopt different SSBTs and why a few SSBTs are more widely accepted than others. The practicality of the findings guides managers and designers of technological interfaces.
Social implications
People will also benefit from the effective implementation of SSTs.
Originality/value
This study stands out as one of the early studies to empirically examine the antecedents-attitude-intention relationship across different SSBTs available in Indian banking industry.
Retraction notice
The International Journal of Bank Marketing wishes to retract the article Kaushik, A.K. and Rahman, Z. (2015), “Innovation adoption across self-service banking technologies in India”, published in International Journal of Bank Marketing, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 96-121.
It has come to our attention that the article contains substantial similarities to the following article: Curran, J.M. and Meuter, M.L. (2005), “Self-service technology adoption: comparing three technologies”, Journal of Services Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 2, pp. 103-113, https://doi.org/10.1108/08876040510591411.
The authors have fully cooperated with this investigation and supplied the original dataset for review. Using this dataset, the editorial team were unable to replicate the results included in the article, and as a result, the decision has been made to retract the article.
The International Journal of Bank Marketing author guidelines make it clear that articles must be original and must not infringe any existing copyright.
The journal apologises to both Professor Curran and Professor Meuter, and its readers.
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Paulo Duarte, Susana C. Silva, Marcelo Augusto Linardi and Beatriz Novais
Self-service check-out technologies (SSTs) are becoming a trend across different retail settings, allowing companies to gain efficiency and reduce costs. Nevertheless, the success…
Abstract
Purpose
Self-service check-out technologies (SSTs) are becoming a trend across different retail settings, allowing companies to gain efficiency and reduce costs. Nevertheless, the success of SSTs implementation is still subject to challenges and uncertainties. This study aims to provide insights for theory and managers on the necessary conditions for the successful implementation of retail SSTs.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an online survey, data from 251 participants were collected to understand the factors predicting SSTs adoption and realise what conditions are mandatory for the adoption. partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and necessary condition analysis (NCA) were used to analyse the data.
Findings
According to the NCA analysis results, 12 latent variables were relevant for predicting SSTs adoption, but only seven were necessary conditions for user adoption.
Originality/value
The complementarity of perspectives for understanding the adoption of SSTs based on the two data analysis techniques provides novel insights into theory and support for retailers' decision-making on self-service technologies (STTs) implementation.
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Nichola Robertson, Heath McDonald, Civilai Leckie and Lisa McQuilken
This study aims to examine the influence of different self-service technologies (SSTs) on customer satisfaction with and continued usage of SSTs. Specifically, it compares an…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the influence of different self-service technologies (SSTs) on customer satisfaction with and continued usage of SSTs. Specifically, it compares an interactive voice response (IVR) SST and an online SST from the same provider to assess how to manage these parallel SSTs.
Design/methodology/approach
A tracking study was used, beginning with a survey of n = 957 SST users to test a model pertaining to SST satisfaction across IVR and online SSTs. These SST users were then tracked over 12 months. The association between customer satisfaction with and continued usage of the SSTs was examined using behavioural data from the service provider.
Findings
While the overall model was found to be valid across both types of SSTs, perceptions of factors including ease of use, perceived control and reliability differed for IVR and online SSTs. Satisfaction with SSTs is linked with users’ continued use of SSTs, but is not a barrier to users’ adoption of newer SST forms.
Research limitations/implications
Highlighting the rapid developments in this field, a new SST was introduced by the provider to respondents during the 12-month tracking period, thus complicating the results. Further studies could include the customer purpose for using SSTs as a variable.
Practical implications
The findings offer support for organisations offering a suite of SSTs, even if they serve the same purpose. Customers evaluate SST types differently, and even satisfied SST users switch to different SSTs when they become available. Allowing customers to choose the SST that best suits them appears to be good practice.
Originality/value
This study develops a comprehensive model of customer SST satisfaction that is used to undertake a comparison of two different types of SSTs, which has been missing from prior research.
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This paper aims to focus on non‐internet‐based self‐service technologies through the presentation of failure and recovery strategies employed by service firms using self‐service…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on non‐internet‐based self‐service technologies through the presentation of failure and recovery strategies employed by service firms using self‐service forms of interaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs the critical incident technique using 508 customer responses to present nine failures and nine recovery strategies used by self‐service technology firms. It presents data on post‐recovery satisfaction levels and propensity to switch behavior. The paper also compares findings in the non‐internet self‐service technology context to findings from e‐tail and bricks and mortar settings.
Findings
Findings indicate that: non‐internet self‐service technology customers experience different types of service failure relative to traditional retail and e‐tail settings; non‐internet self‐service technology firms employ a different series of recovery strategies relative to traditional retail and e‐tail settings; and post‐recovery switching by customers can be high even with satisfying experiences.
Originality/value
This paper strengthens the existing failure and recovery literature by presenting data on the largest growing sector of the service industry, self‐service technologies, and the largest sector within self‐service technologies (non‐internet purchases). These findings will have value to traditional firms looking to expand to their channels in addition to firms currently experiencing customer dissatisfaction.
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Jiun‐Sheng Chris Lin and Hsing‐Chi Chang
Notwithstanding a significant amount of literature on the technology acceptance model (TAM), past research has overlooked the role consumers' technology readiness (TR) plays in…
Abstract
Purpose
Notwithstanding a significant amount of literature on the technology acceptance model (TAM), past research has overlooked the role consumers' technology readiness (TR) plays in adoption of self‐service technologies (SSTs). This study aims to fill this research gap by developing and testing a model that integrates the role of TR into the TAM.
Design/methodology/approach
The study proposes a research framework to suggest the direct and moderating roles of TR in the TAM. Extant research from various research streams is reviewed, resulting in 13 hypotheses. Data collected from customers with SST experiences are examined through structural equation modeling (SEM) and hierarchical moderated regression analysis.
Findings
Results indicate that customer TR enhances perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward use, and intention to use. Results also show that TR attenuates the positive relationship between perceived ease of use and attitude toward using SSTs.
Research limitations/implications
This research represents an early attempt to explain the role of TR in the TAM in the context of SSTs. Future research directions are discussed, with emphasis on incorporating customer differences and situational factors to better understand this model in various service settings.
Practical implications
Findings show that TR influences perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward using SSTs, and behavioral intentions. Therefore, to achieve better SST service outcomes firms implementing SSTs should give increased attention to customer TR. Firms should stimulate the use of technological services by strengthening positive TR drivers (the optimism and innovativeness dimensions) to encourage use of technological services and positive attitudes toward technology, while also reducing TR inhibitors (the discomfort and insecurity dimensions) to lower reluctance to use technology.
Originality/value
This study is the first to integrate the role of TR into the TAM in the context of SSTs.
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