IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joreco/v85y2025ics0969698925000785.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Helpful or harmful? A curvilinear perspective on AI agent anthropomorphism in service failure tolerance

Author

Listed:
  • Liu, Ruoran
  • Hao, Jin-Xing
  • Yu, Yan
  • Shan, Wei

Abstract

The anthropomorphic design of AI agents often evokes mixed responses, yet it remains a common strategy to mitigate the negative impact of service failures. This study examines how AI agent anthropomorphism influences customer tolerance for service failures. Through three experiments involving 526 participants in video- and text-based scenarios, the findings indicate a curvilinear relationship between anthropomorphism and failure tolerance, following an inverted U-shape. The study investigates the underlying mechanism driving this effect, with likability serving as a mediator in the curvilinear relationship. Additionally, this study identifies boundary conditions of the effects, where failure severity (1) attenuates the curve relationship between anthropomorphism and failure tolerance and (2) weakens the indirect effect of likability. These findings contribute new factors to cognitive appraisal theory (i.e., likability to personal factor and failure severity to situational factor) and expand uncanny valley theory from emotional to behavioral responses (i.e., tolerance behavior). Practically, this study provides valuable insights for the utilization and deployment of AI agents in customer service.

Suggested Citation

  • Liu, Ruoran & Hao, Jin-Xing & Yu, Yan & Shan, Wei, 2025. "Helpful or harmful? A curvilinear perspective on AI agent anthropomorphism in service failure tolerance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:85:y:2025:i:c:s0969698925000785
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104299
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698925000785
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jretconser.2025.104299?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. John Antonakis & Samuel Bendahan & Philippe Jacquart & Rafael Lalive, 2010. "On making causal claims : A review and recommendations," Post-Print hal-02313119, HAL.
    2. Liao, Jiancai & Huang, Jingya, 2024. "Think like a robot: How interactions with humanoid service robots affect consumers’ decision strategies," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    3. Arikan, Esra & Altinigne, Nesenur & Kuzgun, Ebru & Okan, Mehmet, 2023. "May robots be held responsible for service failure and recovery? The role of robot service provider agents’ human-likeness," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    4. Mehmood, Khalid & Kautish, Pradeep & Shah, Tejas R., 2024. "Embracing digital companions: Unveiling customer engagement with anthropomorphic AI service robots in cross-cultural context," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    5. Marc Becker & Dominik Mahr & Gaby Odekerken-Schröder, 2023. "Customer comfort during service robot interactions," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 17(1), pages 137-165, March.
    6. Webster, Cynthia & Sundaram, D. S., 1998. "Service consumption criticality in failure recovery," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 153-159, February.
    7. Li, Yaoqi & Zhang, Chun & Laroche, Michel, 2019. "Is beauty a premium? A study of the physical attractiveness effect in service encounters," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 215-225.
    8. Markus Blut & Cheng Wang & Nancy V. Wünderlich & Christian Brock, 2021. "Understanding anthropomorphism in service provision: a meta-analysis of physical robots, chatbots, and other AI," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 632-658, July.
    9. Wang, Yi-Shun & Wu, Shun-Cheng & Lin, Hsin-Hui & Wang, Yu-Yin, 2011. "The relationship of service failure severity, service recovery justice and perceived switching costs with customer loyalty in the context of e-tailing," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 350-359.
    10. Lv, Xingyang & Liu, Yue & Luo, Jingjing & Liu, Yuqing & Li, Chunxiao, 2021. "Does a cute artificial intelligence assistant soften the blow? The impact of cuteness on customer tolerance of assistant service failure," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    11. Elizabeth Han & Dezhi Yin & Han Zhang, 2023. "Bots with Feelings: Should AI Agents Express Positive Emotion in Customer Service?," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 34(3), pages 1296-1311, September.
    12. Bang Nguyen & T. C. Melewar & Junsong Chen, 2013. "A Framework of Brand Likeability : An Exploratory Study of Likeability in Firm-Level Brands," Post-Print hal-02312296, HAL.
    13. Park, Junsung & Yoo, Joon Woo & Cho, Youngju & Park, Heejun, 2023. "Examining the impact of service robot communication styles on customer intimacy following service failure," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    14. Shehawy, Yasser Moustafa & Faisal Ali Khan, Syed Md & Ali M Khalufi, Nasser & Abdullah, Riyaz Sheikh, 2025. "Customer adoption of robot: Synergizing customer acceptance of robot-assisted retail technologies," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    15. Claudia Townsend & Sanjay Sood, 2012. "Self-Affirmation through the Choice of Highly Aesthetic Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 39(2), pages 415-428.
    16. Mengwei Zhang & Jinsheng Cui & Jianan Zhong, 2023. "How consumers react differently toward humanoid vs. nonhumanoid robots after service failures: a moderated chain mediation model," International Journal of Emerging Markets, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 19(11), pages 4306-4326, March.
    17. Sparks, Beverley A. & Browning, Victoria, 2011. "The impact of online reviews on hotel booking intentions and perception of trust," Tourism Management, Elsevier, vol. 32(6), pages 1310-1323.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shehawy, Yasser Moustafa & Faisal Ali Khan, Syed Md & Ali M Khalufi, Nasser & Abdullah, Riyaz Sheikh, 2025. "Customer adoption of robot: Synergizing customer acceptance of robot-assisted retail technologies," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    2. Chih, Wen-Hai & Wang, Kai-Yu & Banda, Hope Wilfred, 2025. "Chatbots at the frontline: Unveiling antecedents of customers’ willingness to accept chatbot intervention in service recovery," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    3. Manu, C & Sreejesh, S, 2024. "‘Do not be Deteriorated by service failures, Learn from them and start managing it’: Conditions and mechanisms for managing online service failures," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    4. Guo, Yuanyuan & Xu, Linlin & Wang, Chaoyou, 2025. "Exploring the effect of empathic response and its boundaries in artificial intelligence service recovery," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    5. Xie, Yuguang & Zhou, Peiyu & Liang, Changyong & Zhao, Shuping & Lu, Wenxing, 2025. "Affiliative or self-defeating? Exploring the effect of humor types on customer forgiveness in the context of AI agents’ service failure," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    6. Xu, Shibo & Zhang, Xiaoxue & Kim, Rohan & Su, Miao, 2024. "Anthropomorphic last-mile robots and consumer intention: An empirical test under a theoretical framework," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Gao, Yajie & Chang, Yaping & Yang, Tangwutu & Yu, Zhihao, 2025. "Consumer acceptance of social robots in domestic settings: A human-robot interaction perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    8. Lu, Yangyang & Zhang, Jing, 2025. "Balancing identity diversity and product contexts: Understanding consumer trust in AI-enhanced chatbot services," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    9. Heirati, Nima & Pitardi, Valentina & Wirtz, Jochen & Jayawardhena, Chanaka & Kunz, Werner & Paluch, Stefanie, 2025. "Unintended consequences of service robots – Recent progress and future research directions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    10. Girardin, Florent & Bezençon, Valéry & Lunardo, Renaud, 2021. "Dealing with poor online ratings in the hospitality service industry: The mitigating power of corporate social responsibility activities," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    11. Park, Junsung & Yoo, Joon Woo & Cho, Youngju & Park, Heejun, 2023. "Examining the impact of service robot communication styles on customer intimacy following service failure," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    12. Choi, Sunhwa & Yi, Youjae & Zhao, Xiaohong, 2024. "The human touch vs. AI efficiency: How perceived status, effort, and loyalty shape consumer satisfaction with preferential treatment," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    13. Pathak, Kanishka & Prakash, Gyan & Samadhiya, Ashutosh & Kumar, Anil & Luthra, Sunil, 2025. "Impact of Gen-AI chatbots on consumer services experiences and behaviors: Focusing on the sensation of awe and usage intentions through a cybernetic lens," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    14. Mahr, Dominik & Odekerken-Schröder, Gaby & Doorn, Jenny van, 2025. "Evolution of service robots in marketing: A relational framework and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    15. Chen, Jianyu & Gong, Xiushuang & Ren, Rui, 2023. "Active or avoidance coping? Influencing mechanisms of streamers' coping strategies on viewers’ word of mouth after livestreaming e-commerce failures," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    16. Miguel Ángel Moliner-Tena & Luis José Callarisa-Fiol & Javier Sánchez-García & Rosa María Rodríguez-Artola, 2025. "Service robots and memorable customer experience: The influence of perceived anthropomorphism," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    17. Xu, Xing'an & Liu, Juan, 2022. "Artificial intelligence humor in service recovery," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    18. Kim, Hyojung & Park, Minjung, 2024. "When digital celebrity talks to you: How human-like virtual influencers satisfy consumer's experience through social presence on social media endorsements," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    19. Alabed, Amani & Javornik, Ana & Gregory-Smith, Diana, 2022. "AI anthropomorphism and its effect on users' self-congruence and self–AI integration: A theoretical framework and research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    20. Xu, Xing'an & Liu, Juan & Gursoy, Dogan, 2022. "Emotional intelligence similarity in service recovery," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:85:y:2025:i:c:s0969698925000785. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-retailing-and-consumer-services .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.