TY - CHAP
T1 - Potentials and boundaries in frontline service encounters through the infusion of technology
AU - Röding, Tobias
AU - Steinmann, Sascha
AU - Wagner, Gerhard
AU - Schramm-Klein, Hanna
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Recent literature discusses the increasing relevance of technology-infusion in service encounters, but only a few studies empirically investigate the impact of technology-infusion within the interaction of the frontline employee service (FES) and the customer. Based on the assumptions and implications of Social Interaction Theory (SI), the findings of a quasi-experiment online study (N = 944) indicate a strong negative influence of the level of perceived barrier due to technology-infusion on the evaluation of the competence of the FES. Moreover, we adapt and extent SI theory towards the context of a technology-infused service encounter in order to emphasize the relevance of the customer’s evaluation of FES competence and its impact on customer satisfaction with the FES. Besides, we show that non-technology-infused service encounters will create the lowest barrier from customer perspective. However, interestingly, our results imply that customers value technology-infusion in service encounters, which is reflected in a higher willingness to pay.
AB - Recent literature discusses the increasing relevance of technology-infusion in service encounters, but only a few studies empirically investigate the impact of technology-infusion within the interaction of the frontline employee service (FES) and the customer. Based on the assumptions and implications of Social Interaction Theory (SI), the findings of a quasi-experiment online study (N = 944) indicate a strong negative influence of the level of perceived barrier due to technology-infusion on the evaluation of the competence of the FES. Moreover, we adapt and extent SI theory towards the context of a technology-infused service encounter in order to emphasize the relevance of the customer’s evaluation of FES competence and its impact on customer satisfaction with the FES. Besides, we show that non-technology-infused service encounters will create the lowest barrier from customer perspective. However, interestingly, our results imply that customers value technology-infusion in service encounters, which is reflected in a higher willingness to pay.
KW - Customer-FES interaction
KW - Frontline service barrier
KW - POS retailing
KW - Technology-infused service encounter
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125328846&partnerID=8YFLogxK
M3 - Book chapter
SN - 978-3-030-47763-9
T3 - Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics
SP - 82
EP - 89
BT - Advances in National Brand and Private Label Marketing - Seventh International Conference, 2020
A2 - Martinez-Lopez, Francisco J.
A2 - Gázquez-Abad, Juan Carlos
A2 - Breugelmans, Els
PB - Springer
CY - Cham
ER -