Human-Robot Interaction in a Service Delivery Context

Interaction with service robots: Focus on ethical considerations

Start & End Date

01/12/2019 - 31/05/2021

Main Applicant

Etemad-Sajadi, R., EHL Hospitality Business School

External Funding

HES-SO

Project Description

The objective of this research was to identify the way in which users perceive the interaction with a service robot. The focus was on the following dimensions:

ethical issues,
degree of trust for the information given by the robot,
feeling of a social presence (the perception that there is personal, sociable, and sensitive human contact),
fear of robots,
emotional appeal of the interaction with the robots.

Scientific Output

Etemad-Sajadi, R., Soussan, A., & Schöpfer, T. (2022). How Ethical Issues Raised by Human-Robot Interaction can Impact the Intention to use the Robot? International Journal of Social Robotics, 14, 1103-1115. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-021-00857-8

Etemad-Sajadi, R., & Sturman, M.C. (2022). How to Increase the Customer Experience by the Usage of Remote Control Robot Concierge Solutions. International Journal of Social Robotics, 14, 429-440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-021-00800-x

Etemad-Sajadi, R. (2021, September 27-30). Ethical Issues Linked To The Interaction Between Human And Robots In A Service Delivery Context. [Paper presentation]. EuroCHRIE 2021, Aalborg, Denmark.

Etemad-Sajadi, R. (2021, September 27-30). Frontline Service Delivery: The usage of a robot. [Paper presentation]. EuroCHRIE 2021, Aalborg, Denmark.

EHL Blog Insights

The Clever Use of Robots During COVID-19

When was the last time you shook someone’s hand, went to a festival, had a complete week of school or work without telecommuting? 2020 has been a peculiar year: our social bonds and habits have been profoundly impacted by COVID-19. Social distancing is now the norm and this poses a problem for a lot of industries. How to continue doing what we were doing, without putting ourselves and others in danger?

The market of service robot technologies and telepresence solutions is expected to grow continuously in the next ten years. By 2025, 85% of customer interactions will take place without a human agent.

Here is an overview of the different ways robots are being used during the pandemic.

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“Service Robots” come with a variety of ethical questions regarding their use. Research in this field can help to find the win-win balance where companies reduce their costs, adapt employee activities and give customers added value with the right use of robot technology.

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Would you allow a humanoid robot to greet a paying guest at your hotel? Would the hotel guest prefer the ease and convenience of service robots or the warmth and service of a fellow human being? There is no doubt that AI will create both challenges and opportunities for the industry. This article reviews the trajectory and impact of AI in the hospitality industry.

In the Media

Frontline service robots: Their role in delivery service

Led by the team of the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Associate Professor, Dr. Reza Etemad-Sajadi, this research focuses on human-robot interactions in a service delivery context. Through interviews, we gathered four outputs that appear to be important when talking about frontline service robots. But first off, what are frontline service robots? They are defined as “system-based autonomous and adaptable interfaces that interact, communicate and deliver service to an organization’s customers” (Wirtz et al., 2018).

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