自助服务技术中虚拟代理人呈现对顾客准备的影响研究

The Effect of Avatar Presence on Customer Readiness in SSTs

为鼓励顾客尝试使用自助服务技术,研究者和实践者越来越关注如何提高顾客准备。本研究借鉴社会反应理论将虚拟代理人引入到自助服务技术界面设计中,考察虚拟代理人呈现对顾客准备的影响。本文通过3个实验研究发现:与没有虚拟代理人相比,虚拟代理人呈现能够提高顾客准备(实验1);专家型比迷人型虚拟代理人对提高顾客准备更有效(实验2);顾客权力感对不同类型虚拟代理人有调节作用,当个人权力感高时,专家型代理人比迷人型代理人更能显著提高顾客准备;而当个人权力感低时,专家型与迷人型对顾客准备的影响没有差别(实验3)。研究结论为进一步探讨虚拟代理人在自助服务技术当中的应用奠定基础,也为服务商设计自助界面提高顾客准备提供理论指导和借鉴。

Along with the technology development,a new service delivery and production mode,self-service technologies(SSTs),is becoming pervasive in our life.In order to encourage customers to try and continue to use SSTs,researchers and practitioners are paying more and more attention to how to improve customer readiness.Based on the social response theory,this study introduces avatar into the self-service technology interface design and examines the effect of avatar presence on customer readiness.In accordance with the task-technology fit theory,we further explore the impact of the type of avatar on customer readiness.Finally,the moderating effect of customer power is identified in light of the power approach inhibition theory.Three experiments are designed to collect data to test the proposed hypotheses.In study 1,a single-factor(avatar presence vs.absence)between subjects was conducted.The results reveal that compared with avatar absence,avatar presence can enhance customer readiness in SSTs.The expert avatar is more effective than the attractive avatar to improve customer readiness for functional SSTs in study 2.In study 3,a 2(expert vs.attractive avatar)×2(high vs.low power)between-subjects factorial design was executed.The results show that customer power moderates the relationship between the types of avatar and customer readiness.When customer power is high,the expert avatar can significantly improve customer readiness than the attractive avatar,and when customer power is low,there is no difference between the two types of avatar.These results demonstrate the underlying mechanism and the boundary condition of the influence of the avatar presence on customer readiness in SSTs.The conclusion of the study extends the research scope of the SSTs’interface and lays a foundation for further research on the effects of avatar in self-service technology,and can also provide theoretical guidance and reference for service providers to design self-service interfaces to improve customer readiness effectively.