Are Service Robots Superior?Evaluating the Impact of Plate Waste Monitoring Intensity and Service Provider Type on Buffet Customer Responses
Monitoring customers to ensure they finish their meals("clean plate campaign")in catering enterprises is a significant measure to prevent food waste.However,this practice may provoke negative responses from customers.With the rise of intelligent dining services,service robots are becoming more prevalent.There is limited research examining whether using service robots can mitigate the adverse effects of monitoring customers'plate waste in buffet settings.To address this gap,the present study employs the theory of mind perception to investigate how buffet customers respond to varying intensities of plate waste monitoring conducted by service robots compared to human waitstaff.A pilot study and scenario-based experiment reveal the following key findings:1.Compared to low monitoring intensity,high monitoring intensity increases negative customer responses,specifically manifested as more negative customer attitudes and a higher willingness to engage in negative word-of-mouth behavior.2.Service provider type interacts with monitoring intensity:when plate waste monitoring is low,service robots reduce negative customer responses compared to human waitstaff;however,with increased monitoring intensity,the ability of service robots to mitigate negative customer responses diminishes.3.Perceived restrictiveness mediates the interactive effects of service provider type and monitoring intensity on customer responses.In conclusion,this study enriches theoretical research by revealing the novel role of service robots in influencing customers to reduce plate waste.Furthermore,it offers practical insights for catering enterprises aiming to optimize their plate waste monitoring strategies.
plate waste monitoringmonitoring intensitycustomer responseservice robottheory of mind perception
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
