To Err Is Human(-oid): How Do Consumers React to Robot Service Failure and Recovery?

Choi, Sungwoo; Mattila, Anna S.; Bolton, Lisa E.

doi:10.1177/1094670520978798

Cited by 502AI in Service InteractionsCustomer Service Quality and LoyaltySocial Robot Interaction and HRI

To Err Is Human(-oid): How Do Consumers React to Robot Service Failure and Recovery?

Choi, Sungwoo, Mattila, Anna S., Bolton, Lisa E.·2021·Journal of Service Research

DOI 10.1177/1094670520978798

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Abstract

Robots are the next wave in service technology; however, this advanced technology is not perfect. This research examines how social perceptions regarding the warmth and competence of service robots influence consumer reactions to service failures and recovery efforts by robots. We argue that humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid) service robots are more strongly associated with warmth (whereas competence does not differ). This tendency to expect greater warmth from humanoid robots has important consequences for service firms: (i) consumers are more dissatisfied due to lack of warmth following a process failure caused by a humanoid (vs. nonhumanoid; Study 1); (ii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can recover a service failure by themselves via sincere apology, restoring perceptions of warmth (Study 2A); (iii) humanoids (but not nonhumanoids) can also effectively provide explanations as a recovery tactic (Study 2B); and, importantly, (iv) human intervention can be used to mitigate dissatisfaction following inadequate recovery by a nonhumanoid robot (Study 3), supporting the notion of human-robot collaboration. Taken together, this research offers theoretical implications for robot anthropomorphism and practical implications for firms employing service robots.

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Requiring user participation can appear as the CA shifting recovery responsibility onto the affected party, contradicting service recovery research where customers expect organizations to take responsibility for failures and make the necessary amends.
“This can appear as the CA shifting recovery responsibility onto the affected party, contradicting service recovery research where customers expect organizations to take responsibility for failures and make the necessary amends (Choi et al., 2021;McGrath et al., 2025).”
From Explainability in AI: Comparing Human-Like and System-Like Trust Repair Strategies (2026) · cites this paper as Choi et al., 2021

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Anthropomorphization of AI: Opportunities and Risks
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Shams, G., Kim, K. K., & Kim, K. (2024) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.103782 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
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Zhu, T., Xie, L., & Liu, C. (2025) · International Journal of Hospitality Management · doi:10.1016/j.ijhm.2024.104075 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
AI apology: a critical review of apology in AI systems
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When Automation Fails: Examining the Effect of a Verbal Recovery Strategy on User Experience in Automated Driving
Xu, Z., Wang, G., Zhai, S., & Liu, P. (2025) · International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction · doi:10.1080/10447318.2023.2176986 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Explainability in AI: Comparing Human-Like and System-Like Trust Repair Strategies
Konopka, B., & Wiesche, M. (2026) · Information Systems Frontiers · doi:10.1007/s10796-026-10751-1 · Cited by 1 · see citing works

G1500-3-3 Passing through a door by a humanoid robot : Experimental verification
Nakamura, T., Arisumi, H., & Yokoi, K. (2010) · The proceedings of the JSME annual meeting · doi:10.1299/jsmemecjo.2010.5.0_329 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Humanoid robotics
Yokoi, K. (2007) · International Conference on Control, Automation and Systems (ICCAS) · doi:10.1109/iccas.2007.4406506 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Experimental evaluation of the dynamic simulation of biped walking of humanoid robots
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A Study on Service-Recovery Framework Affecting Process in Airline Service
Suh, C.-J., & Kang, M. (2008) · Journal of the Korean society for quality management · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Humanoid Robot
Bhatlawande, S. N., & Kulkarni, P. P. (2023) · International Journal of Advanced Research in Science Communication and Technology · doi:10.48175/ijarsct-13859 · Cited by 2 · see citing works

Authors: Choi, S., Mattila, A. S., & Bolton, L. E.
Affiliations: Chinese University of Hong Kong (HK)
Pennsylvania State University (US)
Corresponding author: Choi, Sungwoo
ORCID: Choi, Sungwoo
Mattila, Anna S.
Bolton, Lisa E.
Venue: Journal of Service Research
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2020-12-16
Volume: 24
Issue: 3
Pages: 354-371
ISSN: 1094-6705 (ISSN-L)
1552-7379
DOI: 10.1177/1094670520978798
OpenAlex: W3111208172
Cited by: 502
References: 99
Citations by year: 2026: 110 · 2025: 136 · 2024: 98 · 2023: 91 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 14
FWCI: 15.52
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Journal of Service Research (publishedVersion)
Funders: Marriott Foundation
Penn State School of Hospitality Management Grimes-Nicholson Technology Award
Topics: Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › AI in Service Interactions
Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Customer Service Quality and Loyalty
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Social Robot Interaction and HRI
Keywords: service robots, humanoid robots, service failure, service recovery, robot anthropomorphism, perceived warmth, perceived competence, customer dissatisfaction, explanation, human-robot collaboration, human intervention

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To Err Is Human(-oid): How Do Consumers React to Robot Service Failure and Recovery?

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