Choosing among Alternative Service Delivery Modes: An Investigation of Customer Trial of Self-Service Technologies

TLDR

Electronic commerce is an increasingly popular business model with a wide range of tools available to firms, including self‑service technologies such as telephone banking, automated hotel checkout, and online investment trading, yet little is known about why customers decide to try SSTs or why some are more accepted than others. The study investigates factors influencing customers’ initial trial of self‑service technologies when multiple delivery modes are available. The authors examine these factors by analyzing actual consumer behavior in mode‑choice situations. The study shows that consumer readiness variables—role clarity, motivation, and ability—mediate the relationship between adoption constructs and the likelihood of trial.

Abstract

Electronic commerce is an increasingly popular business model with a wide range of tools available to firms. An application that is becoming more common is the use of self-service technologies (SSTs), such as telephone banking, automated hotel checkout, and online investment trading, whereby customers produce services for themselves without assistance from firm employees. Widespread introduction of SSTs is apparent across industries, yet relatively little is known about why customers decide to try SSTs and why some SSTs are more widely accepted than others. In this research, the authors explore key factors that influence the initial SST trial decision, specifically focusing on actual behavior in situations in which the consumer has a choice among delivery modes. The authors show that the consumer readiness variables of role clarity, motivation, and ability are key mediators between established adoption constructs (innovation characteristics and individual differences) and the likelihood of trial.