Female Robots With Human-Like Features More Preferable in the Service Industry

Female robots or fembots are preferred in the service industry, according to a new study. The findings suggest that the trick could apply in various industries, including hotels and restaurants, that may replace human staff with service robots.

Washington State University experts led the study with 170 volunteers. Each of the participants was examined about their experiences and reactions when given hypothetical scenarios about robot interaction in a hotel.

Experts discovered that female robots are more effective in delivering comfort to the supposed patrons. Chances of a more positive reaction are observed if the female robots have human-like features.

Robots and the Service Industry

(Photo : YOSHIKAZU TSUNO/AFP via Getty Images)
Tokyo, JAPAN: Promotional women along with a 165cm tall humanoid robot "Actroid" (R) introduce French Azzaro perfumes at a Chiristmas gift promotion at Takashimaya department store in Tokyo, 21 December 2006. The Actroid, produced by Japanese robot venture Kokoro, was hired by Japanese fragrance importer Wakaba for the sales campaign through the Christmas Day.

Tokyo, JAPAN: Promotional women along with a 165cm tall humanoid robot "Actroid" (R) introduce French Azzaro perfumes at a Christmas gift promotion at Takashimaya department store in Tokyo, 21 December 2006. The Actroid, produced by Japanese robot venture Kokoro, was hired by Japanese fragrance importer Wakaba for the sales campaign through the Christmas Day.

Robotic features, according to the findings, will be a crucial factor in the future of service jobs. Anthropology and personality were found to have an actual impact on the people, especially if they had female faces.

Carson College of Business School of Hospitality Business Management expert Soobin Seo, who authored the study, said that people expect more comfort from the assistance that is carried out by females due to the classic gender stereotyping that is widespread in the management and service industry.

The gender stereotypes, according to Seo, were passed down to the collective view over robot interactions. The response from the popular is also amplified if the machines will have features that heavily resemble humans.

During the pandemic brought by COVID-19, many businesses in the service industry switched to using robots due to lack of human staff. Most of these establishments patched services amidst the surge of employee vacancies by putting robotic greeters and waiters aboard.

The shift in staffing, according to DailyMail, was not just ignited by the current global health situation, as the lack of service personnel had been inflicting the industry since the pre-pandemic years. Seo said that collectively, most hotels turned to robots for major functions such as room cleaning and dishwashing. Ongoing developments may also lead to perfecting complex customer service from robots soon.

Popular businesses that made the headlines due to their new robotic services include the Las Vegas Mandarin Oriental Hotel and China's FlyZoo hotel chain. In the United Kingdom, a Chinese buffet utilizes BellaBots to interact directly with customers.

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Female Robots with Near-Human Features Are Preferred In Service Industry

The study on autonomous robotic service included questions that were required to be answered by the participants. The volunteers were given four scenarios about interacting with AI-powered service machines.

The first scenario included interaction with a male, human-like robot named Alex. The second scenario was worded like the first one, except that it was with a female, human-like robot named Sara. The final two scenarios included were gendered and named differently but described as "machine-like" with an interactive screen.

The participants who were shown with a female robot gave more satisfying and positive rates. A featureless, male machine scored the lowest, while a female, human-like robot scored the highest.

Seo said that most participants dislike a completely automated service from robots. Further research regarding gender-based hospitality and customer perception will be conducted for more concrete information.

The study titled "When Female (Male) Robot Is Talking To Me: Effect of service robots' gender and anthropomorphism on customer satisfaction" was published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management.