Customer Experience and Social Robots - an experiment in a grocery store

We can expect the field of robot end-user applications to grow, and with time, we will also see more advanced and skilled humanoid robots. To ensure that this happens in a relevant, human-friendly, and sustainable way, we need to study robots and the way they can interact with humans. We need to study both the evolving technology and human behavior, i.e., the end users (customers, clients). Understanding the usefulness and potential of social and service robots requires studying them in specific real-world contexts. This paper we disucss an experiment where we investigate the deployment of a social service robot in a retail setting. More specifically we focus on customer interactions and experiences with humanoid robots in a grocery store. By investigating real-world retail contexts, the research aims to understand the practical utility and potential of social and service robots.We used structured observation top collect data and preliminary findings reveal a range of customer reactions, from joy to fear, and highlights the novelty effect, where customers take photos and follow the robot. Findings suggest that all types of users are likely to interact with the robot, though many observe it with curiosity. The paper contributes to Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) theory and suggests further long-term and also quantitative studies to enhance understanding of trust and social-emotional reactions in real-world contexts.