Customers' value changes on robot‐serviced restaurants

Abstract

AbstractThis study investigates the effect of robot‐serviced restaurant's emotional and functional attributes on the consumer value of robot‐serviced restaurant customers. Further, it analyses how the effects changed after the COVID‐19 pandemic began. The survey was conducted on customers who had used Google Drive and visited or indirectly experienced a robot service restaurant in Seoul, Korea through media outlets. The results illustrate that hedonic value influences the emotional attributes more than the functional attributes of robot‐serviced restaurants. In addition, utilitarian value influences functional attributes more than the emotional attributes of these restaurants. However, it is noticeable that the pandemic outbreak has altered these relationships. The study has revealed the influence of consumption values for robot services on the importance of attributes at restaurants and the effects after the pandemic, providing theoretical and practical implications.