Comprehending roles of virtual service assistant’s warmth and competence for service co-creation versus service recovery

Purpose Based on the stereotype content model (SCM), this study aims to enrich comprehension of virtual service assistant (VSA)-enabled service delivery through two pivotal avenues. Firstly, it aims to conceptualize and test the fundamental mechanism underlying how businesses deploy services using VSAs. Secondly, this study explores whether the paradigms of service co-creation versus service recovery differentially impact customers’ perceptions of warmth and competence in VSA-enabled service delivery. Design/methodology/approach This study used a one-factorial (service paradigm: service co-creation vs service recovery) field experiment. Covariance-based structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data. Findings The results show that VSA service quality dimensions impact satisfaction for service co-creation and both trust and satisfaction for service recovery. The stronger link that mediates this effect is competence for service co-creation and warmth for service recovery. Originality/value This research extends the understanding of SCM to VSA-enabled services and shows the asymmetries of mediation between the paradigms of service co-creation versus service recovery to suggest the most effective approach for VSAs to successfully meet customer requirements for establishing trust and satisfaction.