Service robots and their implications for service delivery

Abstract

The digital service revolution will significantly change the way we do business. Service robots in various forms and shapes are a big part of this revolution. In this chapter, we illustrate the implication of service robots for the service sector. We compare service robots with traditional self-service technologies (SSTs) and human service personnel and identify opportunities and challenges. In the Service Robot Deployment Model (SRD Model), we highlight promising areas for human-robot collaboration and discuss the challenges of service robot deployment. Finally, we derive managerial implications for the service frontline in this new reality with service robots.