Call it robot: anthropomorphic framing and failure of self-service technologies

Purpose: This work is aimed at testing the effect that anthropomorphic framing (i.e., robot vs. automatic machine) has on consumers’ responses in case of service failure. Specifically, we hypothesize that consumers hold an unconscious association between the word “robot” and agency and that the higher agency attributed to self-service machines framed as robots (vs. automatic machines) leads, in turn, to a more positive service evaluation in case of service failure.

Design/methodology/approach: We have conducted four experimental studies to test our framework. In Study 1a and Study 1b, we used an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to test for the unconscious association held by consumers about robots as being intelligent machines (i.e., agency). In Study 2 and Study 3, we tested the effect that framing technology as robots (vs. automatic machines) has on consumers’ responses to service failure using two online experiments across different consumption contexts (hotel, restaurant) and using different dependent variables (service evaluation, satisfaction, word of mouth).

Findings: We show that consumers evaluate more positively a service failure involving a self-service technology framed as a robot rather than one framed as an automatic machine. We provide evidence that this effect is driven by higher perceptions of agency and that the association between technology and agency held by consumers is an unconscious one.

Originality/value: This work investigates a novel driver of consumers’ perception of agency of technology, namely how the technology is framed. Moreover, the study sheds light on consumers’ responses to technology’s service failure.