Touch or Talk: What Motivates Consumers to Choose Self-Service Kiosks or Interpersonal Services when Ordering Fast-Food? A Customer and Manager Perspective

Abstract: Purpose – The first purpose of this study is to identify and categorize the motivational factors, from a customer and managerial perspective, that restaurant patrons have when choosing between the self-service kiosk (SSK) or the human service counter during their fast-food order. The second purpose is to identify potential gaps between the customer and manager perspectives. Methodology – This study is based on a relativistic ontology and a social constructivist epistemology. In order to collect the data needed, the authors of this study used a qualitative research approach by conducting 17 in-depth semi-structured customer interviews and 2 in-depth semi-structured manager interviews that were complemented by in-store observations that took place in a McDonald’s restaurant. Findings – This research study revealed decision control, customization, display of product information, performance expectancy, interpersonal decision pressure, and interpersonal avoidance as overarching motivators for using SSKs. Whereas, products and categories, human clues and skills as well as employee support act as overarching motivators for using the counter. Empathy and awareness, the influence of important others, waiting times, and IT affinity operate as overarching motivators that can result in a tendency to use either SSK or the counter, depending on the individual aspects that lie in the fast-food restaurant guests themselves. Theoretical Contributions – This study contributes to the existing restaurant and customer service experience research in numerous ways. Firstly, this paper systematically summarizes the existing research findings of the self-service technology and SSK literature. Secondly, the study shows consistencies and inconsistencies between its findings and existing findings from the general self-service and interpersonal service literature. Last but not least, the study also presents new findings that extend the existing literature. Practical Contributions – The results of this paper equip managers with the essential knowledge of restaurant guests’ motivators and implications how to successfully address them. Managerial implications are made for both SSK and counter. In addition, customer insights and manager insights were collected, providing potential improvement suggestions for fast-food restaurants regarding the implementation of digital and human touchpoints.