Self‐service technology for sales purposes in branch banking : The impact of personality and relationship on customer adoption

Purpose – This article aims to explain the adoption of self‐service technology with pro‐active sales applications (automated teller machines or kiosk systems) in brick‐and‐mortar outlets with special respect to personality traits, relationship characteristics and previous online banking usage. Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical framework is proposed, extending well proven technology adoption models by moderating effects from personality traits and customer relationship characteristics. An empirical study using survey and customer account data from customers of a European retail bank assesses the usage antecedents, separately for adopters of online‐banking and non‐adopters. Findings – The study validates the framework and identifies relevant moderating effects. Research limitations/implications – The study was carried out solely in one country, but provides a starting point for more international research. Practical implications – The results call for a clear decision in the multi‐channel strategy about which customer segment should be targeted, as previous online‐banking adopters show different adoption behavior. The development and the communication of self‐service technology (SST) should reflect the strong drivers of adoption and, e.g. use a socio‐technical approach. Customer personality traits require increased attention, should be systematically recorded and may support individualized promotional campaigns for SST. Originality/value – The article is the first to explain the adoption of in‐branch self‐service applications for sales purposes and integrate the moderating effects of personality and relationship.