Working with service robots in the dining room: Employees’ perspectives and realities

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate restaurant and foodservice workers’ perceptions of working with a service robot and the extent to which the workers’ well-being was impacted by a mandated service robot adoption. Design/methodology/approach This study used a qualitative methodology where 42 US restaurant and foodservice workers from two organizations were interviewed. The data analyzed generated 1,302 coded segments that clustered into six overarching themes. Findings The findings from this research revealed that restaurant and foodservice workers who regularly use service robots in the dining room experience a complex set of issues and challenges related to robot reliability, management training and support, leveraging the robot to entertain the customer, feelings of dread, anger and frustration, and indications of decreased physical exertion as a proxy for well-being. Research limitations/implications As an initial qualitative investigation, the results of this study can be used as a starting point for quantitative investigations, as well as informing restaurant and foodservice industry stakeholders as to the best practices for a comprehensive and successful service robot adoption and integration. Originality/value This research presents an intersection between service robot technology acceptance with worker well-being using a broad range of frameworks including National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health’s Future of Work, SERVQUAL and technology acceptance models to gain a deep and rich set of service worker perspectives.