Robots are the next wave in service technology; however, this advanced technology is not perfect. This research examines how social perceptions regarding the warmth and competence of service robots...

To Err Is Human(-oid): How Do Consumers React to Robot Service Failure and Recovery?:

Does a cute artificial intelligence assistant soften the blow? The impact of cuteness on customer tolerance of assistant service failure

Robotic chefs are starting to replace human chefs in restaurant industry. Whether customers have a good food quality prediction may have an important effect on their patronage decision. Based on the stereotype content model, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of robotic chef anthropomorphism on food quality prediction through warmth and competence.,An empirical analysis was done to test the theoretical model by using the SmartPLS software. A nonhuman-like robotic chef and a robotic chef with humanoid hands were used as background materials in the questionnaire. The effective sample was 221.,Robotic chef anthropomorphism affects food quality prediction through the sequential mediators of warmth and competence. Age is a significant control variable.,Robotic chef anthropomorphism positively affects food quality prediction. The halo effect of warmth perception on competence perception should be considered in the context of robot anthropomorphism.,Restaurants which feature robotic chefs should use robotic chefs with anthropomorphic designs and promote the anthropomorphic elements of robotic chefs in advertisements.,The anthropomorphic design of robot chefs will facilitate the development of artificial intelligence in restaurants in the future.,To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first to focus on how robotic chef anthropomorphism affects food quality prediction and reveals the roles of warmth and competence in the influence of robotic chef anthropomorphism on food quality prediction.

Robot with humanoid hands cooks food better? Effect of robotic chef anthropomorphism on food quality prediction

“How may i help you?” Says a robot: Examining language styles in the service encounter

To emoji or not to emoji? Examining the influence of emoji on consumer reactions to advertising

Service with Emoticons: How Customers Interpret Employee Use of Emoticons in Online Service Encounters

Although marketing offers with flexible price options within a range of two endpoints (i.e., range offers) have been frequently used in various contexts, such as discount ranges, flexible pricing, and deal quotations, our understanding of how consumers react to this pricing strategy is rather limited. The current research suggests that consumers’ reaction to range marketing offers may depend on their general sense of scarcity. Eight studies show that reminders of resource scarcity induce a promotion orientation among consumers, which consequently increases consumers’ favorability toward range marketing offers. This effect is found to strengthen when the range of the offer becomes wider, and to weaken when the range offer cannot provide a better-than-reference outcome. These findings result in novel theoretical insights about the ways consumers react to range marketing offers. From a managerial perspective, this research offers tactics that companies can use to potentially increase the acceptance and effectiveness of range marketing offers.

Xueni Li

Papers

Service with Emoticons: How Customers Interpret Employee Use of Emoticons in Online Service Encounters

Room for Opportunity: Resource Scarcity Increases Attractiveness of Range Marketing Offers