Investigating the effect of customer-robot interaction experience on customer engagement behavior and co-creation value: a mixed methods study

This study investigated the effect of robots on customer engagement behavior, employing a mixed methods approach. The qualitative study involved in-depth interviews with a total of 25 customers to explore the effects and constructed a theoretical model. A quantitative investigation then evaluated the proposed model based on a sample of 558 valid respondents. The findings demonstrated that customer interaction with service robots affected customer engagement behavior, through customer perceived hedonic, functional, and symbolic benefits. These effects influenced customer happiness and organizational transaction value, facilitating value co-creation between robots, customers, and firms. The impact of robots on customer engagement behavior was contingent upon travel companions and purpose, but not employee support. This study contributes to the literature by enhancing an understanding of service robot performance and customer engagement behavior, offering practical insights for the effective management of robots in the hotel industry.