Determinants and Outcomes of Customers' Use of Self-Service Technology in a Retail Setting

Abstract

Retailers are increasingly turning toward self-service technologies (SSTs) aimed at improving productivity and service quality while cutting costs. The authors identify a process model to understand the antecedents and consequences of SST usage by customers in an in-store retail setting. The model was validated on a combination of survey and observational data. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, reliability, and fun were identified as key drivers of customer attitude toward the SST. Customer attitude toward the SST predicted the actual usage of technology. The effects of SST usage on the actual time spent by customers in the store were studied. The authors investigate the impact of SST usage on customers' perceptions of waiting time and, consequently, on their level of satisfaction with the shopping experience. Finally, the moderating effects of age, education, and gender are analyzed. The current study evaluates the benefits of SST introduction for both customers and retailers.

The effect of self-checkout quality on customer satisfaction and repatronage in a retail context

“…Moreover, among various SSTs, ''off-site'' options (such as online shopping or internet banking) have received relatively more attention in previous research than ''on-site'' options (Lin and Hsieh 2011;Orel and Kara 2014) 1 . In the particular case of self-checkout in retail stores, little is known due to its recent introduction and specific literature (e.g., Anselmsson 2001;Dabholkar et al 2003, Weijters et al 2007Wang et al 2012) is difficult to find (Marzocchi and Zammit 2006;Wang et al 2013). Therefore, there is a notable need for both researchers and practitioners to examine customer expectations of SST service quality in the emerging customer-technology interaction-based service settings (Lin and Hsieh 2011).…”

“…In the context of SST, previous research tends to be focused on examining individual differences in off-site rather than on-site options ) and has produced varying results (Kelly et al 2010). Also, its influence hasn't yet been fully covered by the existing literature on self-checkout adoption (Weijters et al 2007). Thus, our understanding of these differences in the service evaluation process while using self-checkouts is still very limited.…”

“…Traditional interpersonal service encounters such as retail banking or airline check-in are gradually being replaced by SST interfaces (Wang et al 2013). As more and more service companies adopt technologies to encourage consumers to perform services for themselves, it has become important to understand the potential impact of SST quality on customer satisfaction and purchasing intentions (Lee and Allaway 2002;Weijters et al 2007;Oghazi et al 2012;Collier and Kimes 2013;. Previous research on SST adoption has found two categories of reasons driving customer usage: SST characteristics and individual difference variables (Elliott et al 2013;Wang et al 2013).…”

“…Speed, control, reliability, ease-of-use, and enjoyment are viewed as important attributes in evaluating SST (Dabholkar 1996;Zhu et al 2007). While results are not always consensual, adopters are generally young, well-educated males, with limited need for personal contact (Weijters et al 2007; ). Other studies, e.g., Wang et al (2012), also found that situational influences may impact SST usage.…”

Proposition d’une typologie d’acheteurs alimentaires selon leur rapport au temps et à la technologie

“…L'argument essentiel de la grande distribution dans l'usage des self-services technologies réside dans la diminution du temps d'attente (Meuter et al, 2000 ;Dabholkar, Bobbitt et Lee, 2003). Pourtant, ces avantages sur la perception d'une réduction perçue du temps d'attente ne sont pas validés dans la littérature (Weijters et al, 2007). Considérer uniquement le temps subjectif semble alors insuffisant.…”