Study finds people prefer interacting with female robots in hotels
Companies looking to replace human staff with robots in hotels, restaurants and other service industries should consider giving them female faces. According to a study by Subin Seo, a researcher at Washington State University, people find it more comfortable to talk to female robots than male robots working as hotel service staff.
The study, which surveyed about 170 people on hypothetical robot service scenarios, also found the preference was stronger when robots were described as having more human traits. The findings are detailed in a paper published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management.
“Along with the popularity of robots in various service settings, service robots are often assigned a female or male gender. This study examines the role of service robot gender and the level of service robot anthropomorphism in customer enjoyment and satisfaction,” the study says.
“People tend to feel more comfortable being cared for by women, due to existing gender stereotypes about service roles. This gender stereotype appears to carry over to interactions with robots, and it is intensified when robots look more like humans”
Even before the pandemic, the hospitality industry struggled with high staff turnover, and Seo noted that some hotels have turned to robots and automation to handle various tasks, from dishwashing and room cleaning to guest services such as greeting guests and delivering luggage.
Examples range from humanlike female robots named Pepper at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Las Vegas to the fully automated FlyZoo hotel chain in China, where guests interact only with robots and artificial intelligence features.
In the UK, a Chinese buffet restaurant chain bought four BellaBot robots at about $20,000 each to fill staffing gaps caused by the coronavirus pandemic, and recent research has shown that the average price of a robot is less than the salary of a full-time employee.
For the study, survey participants were presented with one of four scenarios involving interaction with an AI service robot in a hotel. In one scenario, they were greeted by a male service robot named Alex, who had a face and a human body. The second scenario was worded exactly the same, except with two changes: the robot was female and its name was Sarah. The other two scenarios featured robots of different genders and names, but were described as “machine-like” with an interactive screen instead of a face.
Respondents were then asked to rate how they felt about the interactions. Participants who were presented with scenarios featuring female robots rated the experience as more pleasant and satisfying than those who had scenarios with male robots. The preference for female robots was stronger when the robots were described as more similar to humans.
Seo cautioned that replacing hospitality workers with AI robots of any gender raises many questions that require further study. For example, if a robot breaks down or somehow malfunctions (such as losing luggage or making an incorrect booking), customers may want a human staff member to help them.
The WSU business researcher is also studying how the personality of AI robots may influence customer perceptions, such as whether they are extroverted and talkative or introverted and quiet.
According to Seo, these are important considerations that AI robot developers, as well as hospitality employers, should take into account when thinking about broader adoption of robots.
“In the future, we may start to see more robots replacing human employees in hotels and restaurants, so we may find that some of the psychological relationships we observe in human-to-human interaction also play out in human-robot interaction”
All hotel owners want guests to leave with only positive memories. Even better if that guest returns or shares their experience with others. How can robots help with this? Hotel robots provide a competitive advantage.
Robots can free up staff time and help personalize guests' stays. In fact, their possible uses are almost limitless, with only imagination and cost as limiting factors. Among the most popular examples of robot use:
- The Hilton robot concierge. It tells guests about nearby attractions, places to eat, and hotel information.
- The Aloft robot butler. It can travel throughout the hotel to deliver items. Its main purpose was to surprise guests with in-room delivery.
- The Crowne Plaza delivery robot. It is designed to deliver snacks, toiletries and other hotel amenities. When called, it makes its way through the hotel using a Wi-Fi connection. To the surprise of many guests, it calls to announce its arrival.
- Robots at the Henn na Hotel front desk. When you enter, a velociraptor robot greets you at the front desk. It then asks you to check in on a touchscreen.
- Yotel Hotels luggage transport robot. The robot at the New York hotel automatically collects and moves guests' luggage. It can handle about 300 pieces of luggage per day.
