Robot vs human: expectations, performances and gaps in off-premise restaurant service modes
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 23 June 2021
Issue publication date: 17 November 2021
Abstract
Purpose
Off-premise restaurant service has a new addition – food delivery robots. This new technology and off-premise service, in general, has received little research attention, despite continued year-over-year sales growth for both carry-out and delivery. Therefore, this study aims to analyze off-premise service modes, including food delivery robots, for service quality gaps between consumer expectations and actual performance and among the various modes.
Design/methodology/approach
Performance of three off-premise restaurant service modes (robot-delivery, human-delivery and carry-out) were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach. Consumer expectations were ascertained about food- and service-related performance factors using a survey, and a field observation study was conducted to obtain actual performance data for these factors. Findings from both approaches were compared to identify gaps and differences.
Findings
For food-related performance, consumers reported lower expectations for food safety and food quality from robot- and human-delivered food; however, no differences were observed among the three modes in the field study. Consumers also expected lower service-related performance from robot-delivery for service efficiency and ease of use (than human-delivery and carry-out) and monetary value (than carry-out). Consumers deemed robots the most sustainable and human-delivery the most convenient compared to other modes – however, not all service-related expectations aligned with actual performances.
Originality/value
This study was the first to comparatively examine off-premise restaurant service. Identification of a missing link in service gap analysis was among the theoretical contributions of this study. Managerially, this study provides previously unavailable insights into opportunities for improvement for off-premise service and use of delivery robots.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding Source Declaration.
This work was partially funded by the Purdue University School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Avery Foodservice Research Laboratory.
The authors thank Monica Diaz Beltran, Nitjaree Maneeret, Xinyue Li and Kayla Zemek for their assistance with this project.
Citation
Byrd, K., Fan, A., Her, E., Liu, Y., Almanza, B. and Leitch, S. (2021), "Robot vs human: expectations, performances and gaps in off-premise restaurant service modes", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 33 No. 11, pp. 3996-4016. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-07-2020-0721
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited