서비스 로봇 호텔 프런트 직원의 쿨함이 신뢰, 태도, 전환 의도에 미치는 영향

초록

With rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, hotels are increasingly introducing humanoid service robots to provide customer interactions. Despite this trend, limited research has examined why hotel guests may switch from human employees to robotic services. This study addresses this gap by examining the factors that influence guests’ switching intention toward hotel service robots. An online survey was conducted with 413 hotel guests in the United States, and data were analyzed using the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework through partial-least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that perceived coolness plays a key role in shaping trust and positive attitudes toward service robots, both of which, in turn, enhance switching intention. Guests who perceive robots as cool tend to exhibit greater trust, although the relationship between trust and attitude was not statistically significant. This study extends previous SOR-based research by focusing on switching intention rather than behavioral intention. From a practical perspective, the findings highlight the importance of emotional appeal and design innovation in strengthening guests’ trust and favorable attitudes, suggesting that customers respond more positively when service robots are perceived as stylish and sophisticated.

키워드