Human Versus Robot: Comparing Service Agents in Hospitality Settings—Insights From a Field Study

Abstract

The hospitality industry is facing personnel challenges, including personnel shortages and high staff turnover, asking practitioners to explore service robots to enhance competitiveness. While prior academic studies have primarily relied on hypothetical or conceptual research, there remains a pressing need for real-life field studies to assess the practical impacts of service robots in hospitality. This study examines the comparative effects of human and robotic service agents at the touchpoint of information provision in a real-world hotel setting. Using a field experiment with 200 participants, where both service agents (human and robot) were simultaneously available, we assess service agent's impact on guests' experience of hospitality, satisfaction, and revisiting intentions. The findings reveal indifferent effects between human and robotic agents, challenging assumptions that robots negatively impact guest experiences. Contrary to debates suggesting that human agents are superior in hospitality roles, our results indicate that service robots can effectively complement human staff, reducing demand for frontline personnel and lowering operational costs without diminishing guest satisfaction. This study highlights the potential of integrating robotic agents into the hospitality frontline, particularly for routine tasks like information provision. We acknowledge limitations, including the focus on a single touchpoint, and call for broader research across diverse guest interactions and touchpoints. Future studies should also explore the underlying factors influencing guests' choice of service agents. These findings offer practical implications for tackling labor shortages while maintaining service quality, providing actionable insights for the hospitality industry in the context of digital transformation.