An analysis of the relationships between human, technological and physical factors in the retail banking sector

Abstract

In the light of the increasingly massive implementation of technology in retail settings, the present research aims at exploring the relationships between interacting factors of the retail servicescape: human interaction, automated service, and atmosphere, and their impact on customer satisfaction regarding the service. We develop a theoretical framework to understand the relationships between the single components of the servicescape and we empirically test our framework within the context of retail banking services. We develop a moderated mediation model on a sample of 1346 retail banking customers. We find that the human factor mediates the relationship between self-service technologies and satisfaction, and that this mediation is negatively moderated by a favourable perception of the banking service atmosphere. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.