The Emergence of Service Robots at Selected Quick Service Restaurants: Impact on Customer Experience and Satisfaction

This study investigates the impact of e-service quality, such as reliability, responsiveness, assurance, perceived risk, enjoyment, and speed of service, on customer experience and satisfaction at selected quick-service restaurants that use service robots. Respondents of the study were 181 patrons/diners at selected quick-service food establishments using automation and robots in their operations. Spearman rho, weighted mean, and frequency and percentage data analysis were employed. The study's findings revealed that customers find the usage of service robots and automation reliable, with a 4.56 mean score and the speed of service (4.45) as the two highest E-SERVQUAL dimensions. The study reveals that the six ESERVQUAL dimensions strongly correlate with customer experience and satisfaction. The same conclusion was revealed regarding a strong positive relationship between customer experience and satisfaction. Thus, the association has a unidirectional relationship. Customers reported higher satisfaction levels when services were prompt, responsive, accurate, and risk-free, and the overall experience was enjoyable. The study adds to the theoretical enrichment of the literature about the impact of e-service quality on customer experience and satisfaction in the context of restaurants in the Philippines. Future research directions may use AI and service robots in people management strategies in the hospitality sector.