Robots as restaurant employees - A double-barrelled detective story

Abstract

The paper evaluates the perceptions of Turkish restaurant managers and customers towards service robots. The sample includes 26 managers and 32 customers. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The findings reveal that robots are suitable for dirty, dull, dangerous and repetitive tasks. Customers have mostly positive attitudes towards robots while managers – mostly negative. However, respondents agree that robots improve service quality. A mixed service delivery system based on human-robot collaboration is perceived as the most appropriate. Customers are willing to pay more for the robotic service experience. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed as well.