Roles of Self-Service Technology Attributes in Perceived Customer Empowerment

Abstract

The use of self-service technology (SST) has been increasing due to its impact on company performance. Meanwhile, customer empowerment has been an important factor in increasing the benefits of SST in the service context. Nevertheless, few studies have examined the antecedents of customer empowerment in using SST. Therefore, this study examined how SST attributes influence empowerment and lead to customers’ positive behavioral intentions toward hospitality service providers based on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework. Specifically, SST-related experiences are considered as stimuli that influence the organism (i.e., empowerment), which in turn influence their behavioral responses. A self-administered survey was used to collect data from US hospitality consumers. Data from 441 restaurant customers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results showed the relative impacts of sensory, affective, behavioral, and intellectual experiences from SST on customer empowerment. For instance, sensory experience was the most powerful influence on customer empowerment, followed by behavioral experience. In contrast, the impacts of affective and intellectual experiences were not significant. Customer empowerment increased customer loyalty via customer satisfaction and perception of quality. By examining the concept of empowerment in the SST context, this study and its findings will help hospitality service providers produce positive business outcomes using SST.