Exploring the Impacts of Service Robot Interaction Cues on Customer Experience in Small-Scale Self-Service Shops

Since service robots serving as salespersons are expected to be deployed efficiently and sustainably in retail environments, this paper explores the impacts of their interaction cues on customer experiences within small-scale self-service shops. The corresponding customer experiences are discussed in terms of fluency, comfort and likability. We analyzed customers’ shopping behaviors and designed fourteen body gestures for the robots, giving them the ability to select appropriate movements for different stages in shopping. Two experimental scenarios with and without robots were designed. For the scenario involving robots, eight cases with distinct interaction cues were implemented. Participants were recruited to measure their experiences, and statistical methods including repeated-measures ANOVA, regression analysis, etc., were used to analyze the data. The results indicate that robots solely reliant on voice interaction are unable to significantly enhance the fluency, comfort and likability effects experienced by customers. Combining a robot’s voice with the ability to imitate a human salesperson’s body movements is a feasible way to truly improve these customer experiences, and a robot’s body movements can positively influence these customer experiences in human–robot interactions (HRIs) while the use of colored light cannot. We also compiled design strategies for robot interaction cues from the perspectives of cost and controllable design. Furthermore, the relationships between fluency, comfort and likability were discussed, thereby providing meaningful insights for HRIs aimed at enhancing customer experiences.