تأثیر نگرش نسبت به ربات ‌های خدماتی بر تجربه خرید مشتریان: نقش میانجی احساسات درون ‌فروشگاهی و صمیمیت ادراک ‌شده از تعامل با کارکنان

Introduction: We are in the midst of a retail technological revolution. The influx of technologies in different sectors has created a wide range of benefits and challenges for customers and companies, especially retailers. In this regard, the retail industry has undergone fundamental changes and unprecedented developments due to digital innovations. One of the most recent technological developments in this area is “robotics”. Service robots are system-based and adaptive machines that serve organizations and customers by interacting and communicating on a socio-emotional level. As the technologies used in this type of retail are deployed at the forefront of the organization where the retailer connects with its customers, the customer shopping experience has become one of the most important concepts in this field. In general, there is a research gap in the field of studies on customer interactions with robots. In this regard, the effects of customers' attitudes towards the use of these technologies on the customer shopping experience by mediation of in-store emotions and perceived warmth have been investigated.

Methodology: The research method of the present study is quantitative and is causal in terms of the relationships between its variables and is applied in terms of its purpose and in order to answer a fundamental question, and its results can be used by retail owners, especially cafe and restaurant owners, to manage the customer shopping experience. This research is descriptive and correlational in terms of the method of collecting information and is based on the structural equation model. Finally, the results obtained from analyzing the hypotheses of these studies are matched with research related to the research topic.

Discussion and Results: This study emphasizes the importance of using these robots and the impact of attitudes towards them on customers' shopping experience. According to the findings of this study, a positive attitude towards service robots in cafes and restaurants improves customers' shopping experience. This is stated as the seventh hypothesis in the study. This effect is influenced by the mediation of in-store emotions and perceived intimacy of interaction with employees, which, according to the research both of these variables have a positive and significant relationship with attitudes towards service robots. By confirming the first hypothesis, we concluded that a positive attitude towards the deployment of such robots makes customers' feelings towards the store space more favorable. This leads to a better shopping experience for customers, which is evidenced by the confirmation of this hypothesis, known as the third hypothesis. The fourth hypothesis was formulated to examine the impact of this relationship on the customer shopping experience, the results of which indicated that this relationship under the term of perceived intimacy of interaction with employees improves the customer shopping experience. Finally, all hypotheses of this study were confirmed. It is predicted that the use of these robots has not yet completely severed the connection between employees and customers, and customers still need guidance and assistance from employees to complete or receive their orders, which is why the perceived intimacy of interactions with employees by customers is still at a high level. This is while these robots were used in the countries of origin of foreign research, much more advanced and with a more diverse range of tasks, as a result of which this position reduced the communication between customers and employees and reduced the perceptual intimacy of customers. Finally, according to the results of this research, it can be concluded that technology can improve the shopping experience when it is used alongside human interaction and not instead of it.

Conclusion: As service robots and other non-human agents, especially those supported by artificial intelligence, are likely to become increasingly common in various service environments, encountering robots in real life will be a new experience for most people. Therefore, their attitudes towards robots will be decisive and may be influenced by individual experiences, the social environment, the context of interaction, and the specific characteristics of a robot. In this regard, it is recommended that planning for robotics and any organizational change be accompanied by personnel change management. This is especially important during technological and other organizational changes, and new technology emerging in a wider range of work sectors requires such dynamic operations more than ever, as understanding the human and social factors in robotics is essential to achieve organizational change in a successful and socially acceptable way. By taking these measures, it is possible to provide customers with better quality services, which will lead to an increase in the number of their purchases and their shopping experience.