Robot Service as a Smart Click & Collect Solution in the New Heart of Helsinki
Toivola, Tuija; Mäki, Marko (2022)
LAB-ammattikorkeakoulu
2022
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023020225602
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi-fe2023020225602
Tiivistelmä
Consumer behavior and the business environment are changing rapidly. The Covid-19 pandemic has further accelerated change. The new ways of doing e-commerce are challenging both brick-and-mortar shops and restaurants.
Our study focused on robot’s role in customer experience creation in ecommerce click & collect domain as a part of delivery services. There are numerous studies which has advanced benefits of robot related services, but studies of robot’s role as part of click & collect delivery systems are scant. The aim of this study was to test a smart Click & Collect solution in a new shopping center in the heart of Helsinki. In practice, the experiment focused on the delivery of restaurant food with the help of a robot from the restaurants of the shopping center to the residents of the hotel, which is located in the shopping center.
The study was conducted in the mall in the summer of 2021, between 6.7-6.8. The study was qualitative in nature and data were collected by many methods (diary, analytics, observation, meeting memos). Robot made altogether 54 deliveries to customers. The data were analyzed by combining the data collected by different methods and raising key observations related to the success of the concept.
Results indicated that robot’s delivery raised many positive customer reactions. Hence, robot deliver created positive brand image for the mall. Technologically robot performed generally well (70 %) although it confronted couple of times problems while delivering goods.
Study showed that ecommerce related robotics delivery added clearly value to customer experience and created positive brand image. More research is definitely needed especially with robot performance (i.e. communication abilities), customer-robot relationship and general operational area like ordering system.
Our study focused on robot’s role in customer experience creation in ecommerce click & collect domain as a part of delivery services. There are numerous studies which has advanced benefits of robot related services, but studies of robot’s role as part of click & collect delivery systems are scant. The aim of this study was to test a smart Click & Collect solution in a new shopping center in the heart of Helsinki. In practice, the experiment focused on the delivery of restaurant food with the help of a robot from the restaurants of the shopping center to the residents of the hotel, which is located in the shopping center.
The study was conducted in the mall in the summer of 2021, between 6.7-6.8. The study was qualitative in nature and data were collected by many methods (diary, analytics, observation, meeting memos). Robot made altogether 54 deliveries to customers. The data were analyzed by combining the data collected by different methods and raising key observations related to the success of the concept.
Results indicated that robot’s delivery raised many positive customer reactions. Hence, robot deliver created positive brand image for the mall. Technologically robot performed generally well (70 %) although it confronted couple of times problems while delivering goods.
Study showed that ecommerce related robotics delivery added clearly value to customer experience and created positive brand image. More research is definitely needed especially with robot performance (i.e. communication abilities), customer-robot relationship and general operational area like ordering system.