• Robots are increasingly being integrated in customer service roles at hotels and other hospitality establishments
• Many consumers find “joy” in interacting with robots, but others report feeling “fear” and “anger”
• Experts suggest it is important for people to feel they retain control over technology. 

“A robot walks into a bar…”

Oh, you’ve heard this one before? Yes, the punchline is it orders a screwdriver. And, yes, the idea of robot patrons is fanciful – for now, at least. 

A silicon bartender, though? That’s more plausible. 

Now that chatbots are sufficiently advanced to handle more complex tasks and inquiries, the hospitality sector is striding towards greater integration of technology and artificial intelligence in customer service roles. 

Indeed, experts from the University of Houston predict that by 2030, robots will comprise around 25 percent of the workforce in the hospitality industry. 

So, how do customers feel about this? 

Research by Dr Zhibin Lin, Professor of Marketing at Durham University Business School, suggests that hotel patrons derive happiness from interacting with robot assistants. 

The findings indicate “joy” was felt by over 60 percent of clientele dealing with robots in a customer service role. In a separate qualitative analysis, “love” was felt by 20 percent of people and “surprise” by 12 percent. 

Yet, negative emotions were also present. “Fear” was reported in 28 percent of reviews and “anger” in five percent. It is perhaps to be expected that robots would spark strong reactions – with only four percent recording they felt “neutral” about their automaton assistants. 

Why do we love robots?

The views expressed reflect common opinions held across eight countries. Professor Lin and his colleagues gathered data from 9,707 customer reviews left on Ctrip and TripAdvisor, covering 412 hotels. The researchers used a machine learning model to identify hotels with reviews of robots used in customer service roles. 

Based on their analysis, Professor Lin suggests public opinion is growing more favourable towards robot assistants as people gain more exposure to them and the robots become more effective. 

“Service robots have been increasingly adopted in hospitality service settings in recent years, and large hotel chains have gradually adopted their services for housekeeping and butler services, interacting with customers and fulfilling concierge and front-desk tasks,” he says. 

“Previous opinion has been that customers felt uneasiness and discomfort when being served by robots. However, this research suggests that customers actually, on the whole, have more positive interactions with robots and enjoy the experience of being served by one.” 

This shift in opinion is explored further in a study by Dr Markus Blut, Professor in Marketing and International Business, also at Durham University Business School. 

Professor Blut and his co-researchers find that people prefer to be served by robots that display human-like tendencies, with a human voice and a body that resembles a human being as much as possible, as opposed to a more stereotypically machine-like appearance. 

“Service robots have been increasingly adopted in hospitality service settings in recent years, and large hotel chains have gradually adopted their services for housekeeping and butler services.“

– Dr Zhibin Lin, Professor of Marketing at Durham University Business School 

“When a robot is perceived to be human-like, it can better ease and facilitate human-robot interactions. During a human-robot interaction where the robot is human-like, people can easily apply the social scripts and expectations of a human-human interaction. Thus, they tend to find the robot more controllable and predictable, and the interaction easier and more familiar. If people feel as though they are comfortable and at ease with a robot, their chances of using the service increase,” he says. 

These findings offer clear and actionable guidance for companies: when integrating customer service robots, find ways to make interactions feel as easy and familiar as possible, but also recognise that they will not be suitable in every context. 

The researchers identify several factors that could make customers more averse to dealing with robots in some circumstances, including their age, lower tech competency, and tech-related anxiety. Gender and past experiences with robots and AI can also have a significant effect. 

Robot love vs robot trust

Yet, while these factors suggest a person is more likely to have a negative reaction to robot assistants, what exactly are their concerns? 

Dr Ilaria Querci, Assistant Professor of Marketing at NEOMA Business School, published a study delving into why people may be worried about human-like technologies. Her research breaks these factors down into four archetypes that are often associated with smart devices. 

• The kidnapper: people believe “connected objects” – devices that can share consumer’s information – restrict their freedom and autonomy, making them feel more isolated. 

• The dominator: people fear technology’s potential to replace humans. Constant exposure to, and reliance on, technology in daily life can feel oppressive. 

• The harasser: people feel uneasy that devices can store and share information. They worry that technology is being used to spy on them in their private and professional lives. 

• The seducer: people are anxious that technology may become addictive because it is often practical and fun to use, and that overuse could harm their physical and social life. 

These concerns are reflected in the slower-than-anticipated adoption of connected objects. Estimates predicted there would be 50 billion such devices in circulation globally by 2020, but Professor Querci and her co-researchers counted only 14 billion in 2022. This suggests consumers have been more hesitant to buy these devices than guessed. 

So, what can be done to reassure them? 

“It is essential to create products that inspire trust and security. Consumers need to feel that they retain control over technology,” says Professor Querci. 

These concerns around control and autonomy are widely reflected in portrayals of robots in media. From the Terminator franchise to R.U.R. – the 1936 play that first introduced the word “robot” – the idea of humans becoming too dependent on advanced technology has manifested in fantasies of cyborg uprisings. 

While few people expect self-service checkout machines to suddenly stage a revolt in the middle of the supermarket, companies and brands seeking to integrate advanced robots in customer service roles must be mindful of potential anxieties people may have at dealing with a machine instead of a human being. 

“It is essential to create products that inspire trust and security. Consumers need to feel that they retain control over technology.”

– Dr Ilaria Querci, Assistant Professor of Marketing at NEOMA Business School

Ensuring that robots look and sound more human-like can help put people at ease by allowing them to treat interactions more like a conversation with another person, thereby making the situation feel more familiar. This sense of familiarity helps people feel in control when dealing with complex technology. 

Hospitality venues should also make sure not to rely exclusively or even heavily on robots in customer-facing roles, as this may deter customers who are uncomfortable with them. 

Even for those who find joy in interacting with robot butlers and concierges, it is doubtless nice to see a face not bolted onto titanium once in a while. 

By, Jamie Hose

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