Satisfaction in Technology-Enabled Service Encounters

Purpose – This paper aims to determine the importance of the human touch in customer service interactions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on two original studies using tech-savvy respondents, utilizing a survey and scenario-based research. Findings – The paper finds that, even for tech-savvy customers, human touch is an important factor in both customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Research limitations/implications – The study is limited to US respondents and telephone-based service encounters. Practical implications – This paper shows the importance of keeping some aspects of the human touch in customer encounters with the firm. Firms cannot rely on self-service technology for all services. Originality/value – This paper fulfills a gap in the existing services literature, with a specific focus on valuing human interaction in technology-enabled service encounters