Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service

Gabriella  Volpe; Matthias Schulte-Althoff; David  Dillmann; Emmanuelle  Maurer; Yannic Niedenzu; Philipp  Schließer; Daniel Fürstenau

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-64697-4_23

Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service

Gabriella Volpe, Matthias Schulte-Althoff, David Dillmann, Emmanuelle Maurer, Yannic Niedenzu, Philipp Schließer, Daniel Fürstenau^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Digitalization

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This paper reports on several studies in the context of implementing the humanoid social robot Pepper in a financial institution. The results show that the robot can affect the boundary relations between the roles of customer and service worker differently from common-sense expectations. While employees initially feared to be automated away by the robot, the results suggest that the relationship is more likely to change through an emotional bonding to the robot being projected to the company deploying it. Therefore, the robot might, at least partially, assume the role of the service worker as an ambassador of the company, which could recede more into the background in this regard. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of current literature on the changing boundary relations through robot innovations.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	The Future of Digital Work: The Challenge of Inequality : IFIP WG 8.2, 9.1, 9.4 Joint Working Conference, IFIPJWC 2020 Hyderabad, India, December 10–11, 2020. Proceedings
Editors	Rajendra K. Bandi, Ranjini C. R., Stefan Klein, Shirin Madon, Eric Monteiro
Number of pages	16
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Springer
Publication date	2020
Pages	310-325
Article number	252779
ISBN (Print)	9783030646967
ISBN (Electronic)	9783030646974
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64697-4_23
Publication status	Published - 2020
Event	IFIP Joint Working Conference 2020 - Online/Zoom - managed by University of Oslo Computing Centre Duration: 10 Dec 2020 → 11 Dec 2020 https://ifipwg82.org/node/1370

Conference

Conference	IFIP Joint Working Conference 2020
Location	Online/Zoom - managed by University of Oslo Computing Centre
Period	10/12/2020 → 11/12/2020
Internet address	https://ifipwg82.org/node/1370

Series	IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology
Volume	601
ISSN	1868-4238

Keywords

Humanoid robots
Actor-network theory
Emotions
Intelligence
Anthropomorphism
Attachment
Boundary relations

Access to Document

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Cite this

Volpe, G., Schulte-Althoff, M., Dillmann, D., Maurer, E., Niedenzu, Y., Schließer, P., & Fürstenau, D. (2020). Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service. In R. K. Bandi, R. C. R., S. Klein, S. Madon, & E. Monteiro (Eds.), The Future of Digital Work: The Challenge of Inequality: IFIP WG 8.2, 9.1, 9.4 Joint Working Conference, IFIPJWC 2020 Hyderabad, India, December 10–11, 2020. Proceedings (pp. 310-325). [252779] Springer. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology Vol. 601 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64697-4_23

Volpe, Gabriella ; Schulte-Althoff, Matthias ; Dillmann, David ; Maurer, Emmanuelle ; Niedenzu, Yannic ; Schließer, Philipp ; Fürstenau, Daniel. / Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service. The Future of Digital Work: The Challenge of Inequality: IFIP WG 8.2, 9.1, 9.4 Joint Working Conference, IFIPJWC 2020 Hyderabad, India, December 10–11, 2020. Proceedings. editor / Rajendra K. Bandi ; Ranjini C. R. ; Stefan Klein ; Shirin Madon ; Eric Monteiro. Cham : Springer, 2020. pp. 310-325 (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 601).

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title = "Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service",

abstract = "This paper reports on several studies in the context of implementing the humanoid social robot Pepper in a financial institution. The results show that the robot can affect the boundary relations between the roles of customer and service worker differently from common-sense expectations. While employees initially feared to be automated away by the robot, the results suggest that the relationship is more likely to change through an emotional bonding to the robot being projected to the company deploying it. Therefore, the robot might, at least partially, assume the role of the service worker as an ambassador of the company, which could recede more into the background in this regard. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of current literature on the changing boundary relations through robot innovations.",

keywords = "Humanoid robots, Actor-network theory, Emotions, Intelligence, Anthropomorphism, Attachment, Boundary relations, Humanoid robots, Actor-network theory, Emotions, Intelligence, Anthropomorphism, Attachment, Boundary relations",

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booktitle = "The Future of Digital Work: The Challenge of Inequality",

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note = "IFIP Joint Working Conference 2020 ; Conference date: 10-12-2020 Through 11-12-2020",

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Volpe, G, Schulte-Althoff, M, Dillmann, D, Maurer, E, Niedenzu, Y, Schließer, P & Fürstenau, D 2020, Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service. in RK Bandi, R C. R., S Klein, S Madon & E Monteiro (eds), The Future of Digital Work: The Challenge of Inequality: IFIP WG 8.2, 9.1, 9.4 Joint Working Conference, IFIPJWC 2020 Hyderabad, India, December 10–11, 2020. Proceedings., 252779, Springer, Cham, IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol. 601, pp. 310-325, IFIP Joint Working Conference 2020, 10/12/2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64697-4_23

Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service. / Volpe, Gabriella ; Schulte-Althoff, Matthias; Dillmann, David ; Maurer, Emmanuelle ; Niedenzu, Yannic; Schließer, Philipp ; Fürstenau, Daniel.

The Future of Digital Work: The Challenge of Inequality: IFIP WG 8.2, 9.1, 9.4 Joint Working Conference, IFIPJWC 2020 Hyderabad, India, December 10–11, 2020. Proceedings. ed. / Rajendra K. Bandi; Ranjini C. R.; Stefan Klein; Shirin Madon; Eric Monteiro. Cham : Springer, 2020. p. 310-325 252779 (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 601).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Article in proceedings › Research › peer-review

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AB - This paper reports on several studies in the context of implementing the humanoid social robot Pepper in a financial institution. The results show that the robot can affect the boundary relations between the roles of customer and service worker differently from common-sense expectations. While employees initially feared to be automated away by the robot, the results suggest that the relationship is more likely to change through an emotional bonding to the robot being projected to the company deploying it. Therefore, the robot might, at least partially, assume the role of the service worker as an ambassador of the company, which could recede more into the background in this regard. We discuss the implications of our findings in the context of current literature on the changing boundary relations through robot innovations.

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Volpe G, Schulte-Althoff M, Dillmann D, Maurer E, Niedenzu Y, Schließer P et al. Humanoid Social Robots and the Reconfiguration of Customer Service. In Bandi RK, C. R. R, Klein S, Madon S, Monteiro E, editors, The Future of Digital Work: The Challenge of Inequality: IFIP WG 8.2, 9.1, 9.4 Joint Working Conference, IFIPJWC 2020 Hyderabad, India, December 10–11, 2020. Proceedings. Cham: Springer. 2020. p. 310-325. 252779. (IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, Vol. 601). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64697-4_23