From Cafés to Clinics: Consumer Attitudes Toward Human-Like and Machine-Like Service Robot Failures

Abstract

This study explores how consumers evaluate robotic service agent failures across different service contexts and robot types. Drawing on theories such as moral disengagement, anthropomorphism, and deservingness, two experimental studies examine how service context and robot appearance shape perceptions of failure tolerance and moral judgments. Results show that consumers are less forgiving of failures in healthcare settings, especially for humanoid robots, and that anthropomorphism amplifies context-driven reactions. The findings offer theoretical insights into human–robot interaction and practical implications for service design involving AI and robotics.