The Impact of AI’s Response Method on Service Recovery Satisfaction in the Context of Service Failure

Abstract

In order to perpetuate service sustainability and promote sustainable growth in the service sector, it is important to resolve service failures. AI technology is being applied to service jobs in more and more industries, but AI will inevitably fail while providing service. How to carry out service recovery and obtain the understanding and forgiveness of customers is a problem that urgently needs solving in the practice and research of AI services. The purpose of this study was to explore the artificial intelligence remediation mechanism in the context of service failure and to explore the remedial utility of AI’s self-deprecating humor responses. The study conducted data collection through three experiments to test our hypotheses: study 1 verified the main effect of self-deprecating humor responses and the mediating effect of perceived sincerity and perceived intelligence; study 2 verified the moderated effect of the sense of power; and study 3 verified the moderated effect of failure experience. The experimental results show that, in the context of AI for service recovery, self-deprecating humor responses can improve customers’ willingness to tolerate failure, with perceived intelligence and perceived sincerity found to play a mediating role in this. The sense of power also plays a moderating role by affecting perceived sincerity, and failure experience has a moderate effect by affecting perceived intelligence. The theoretical contribution of the article is to introduce the perspective of AI’s self-deprecating humor service recovery, which complements theoretical research in the field of AI services. The management significance of the article is to provide new AI communication strategies and practical suggestions for enterprises and technical personnel.

Robot service failure and recovery: Literature review and future directions

“…Similar to robot service failure research, the current studies heavily paid attention on future use, 32,84 reuse, 82 and discontinuance 98 after a service failure recovery. For other key literature, the final outcome variable for eight studies was satisfaction, 75,78,80,90,91,93,95,97 four studies opted for tolerance, 56,83,85,86 and two studies measured evaluation. 81,92 Liu-Thompkins and colleagues 86 conducted an investigation to ascertain the effects of robot service recovery on the aspects of well-being, user loyalty, and user equity concurrently.…”

“…91 Additional research has incorporated moderating variables related to perceptions of robots and experiences with failure. These variables, includes technology anxiety, 80 failure experience, 95 and willingness to accept AI as social partners. 86 Robot/failure factors.…”

“…age, 74 gender 80 ) were introduced as moderating variables. An increasing number of studies have directed their attention toward examining individual implicit differences, including constructs such as relationship orientation, 78 interdependent self-construal, 85 indulgence, 85 sense of power, 75,95 face concern for human interaction, 90 customer participation, 94 implicit personality, 82 and perceived diagnosticity of lay beliefs. 91 Additional research has incorporated moderating variables related to perceptions of robots and experiences with failure.…”

“…78,96 Moreover, certain investigations have transferred factors integral to interpersonal service to the context of robotic service recovery. These studies have proffered theories regarding perceived sincerity, 81,90,91,95 perceived naturalness, 91 perception of role congruity, 92 and likeable. 77 Perceived intelligence has been identified by three studies 77,82,95 as a unique aspect of user perception that distinguishes from the human service recovery.…”

“…These studies have proffered theories regarding perceived sincerity, 81,90,91,95 perceived naturalness, 91 perception of role congruity, 92 and likeable. 77 Perceived intelligence has been identified by three studies 77,82,95 as a unique aspect of user perception that distinguishes from the human service recovery. Furthermore, the utilization of humor appreciation served as a mediator in a study by Yang et al 81 that examined the function of humor recovery strategies.…”