Robotics, artificial intelligence and service automation in hotel service process design: can customer dominant logic provide improved value?

Abstract

The lack of focus on the customers’ ecosystem and service technology (Robotics, AI and Service Automation: RAISA) in current Service Process Design (SPD) models prompted this research, the principal aim of which is to create a refined model (incorporating Customer Dominant Logic; CDL) to better purposefully design-in rapidly evolving service technology. This thesis uses a literature review to provide an outline of the use of RAISA in hotel SPD and contrasts the current situation with the future potential through an updating of service design methodologies. This base understanding is tested through a multiple case study approach, where the incidental versus predetermined use of technologies is more fully explored. The key findings identify: • the central role of the customer in the adoption of RAISA and the realisation of its true value; • that the Critical Success Factors for the adoption of RAISA need to be balanced between Customers, Employees and Business stakeholder groups for its implementation to be successful; • the acceptance that RAISA technologies are central to the future of service design; • a recognition of the possibility for the continuing development of a focused, personalised customer's world via a multidimensional, multifactorial ‘golden’ profile accessible to individual organisations, but drawn from many. The principal contribution to research is the development of a novel matrix-based SPD model that incorporates the vision of CDL with the benefits of integrating RAISA technology across the entire customer journey (including 'pre-history' and 'future' stages) and the intentional selection of human, RAISA or ‘blended’ service providers at each service interaction. Future Research should (1) refine the new SPD model via a 'mixed' focus group of hotel customers and industry practitioners; (2) Investigate employees’ attitudes to the integration of RAISA technologies by contrasting their initial fears of implementation with actual outcomes; (3) a longitudinal comparative study of the impact of technology on service encounters and customer satisfaction, pre and post implementation.