Illustrative examples of research on AR- and VR-enhanced service communication
| Reference | Service context | Key findings | Potential for enhancing service communication | Example application and devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augmented reality (AR) | ||||
| Gäthke (2020) | Complex servicescapes | Compared to a traditional 2D map, AR-based navigation reduces complexity and leads to higher overall service satisfaction | Customers are relieved of some mental/physical effort and can better communicate with other customers and/or service providers | London Gatwick Airport passenger app; smartphone or tablet |
| Heller et al. (2019a) | Frontline service interactions | AR use leads to positive WOM and choice of higher value offerings, due to greater processing fluency and decision comfort | Service providers can better communicate the value of their offerings at the online and offline service frontline | QReal restaurant menus; smartphone or tablet |
| Heller et al. (2019b) | Multisensory service experiences | Gesture (vs. voice) control of an AR interface reduces mental intangibility and increases customers' WTP. | AR supports advanced communication modalities such as gesture-based control of digital content, which increases the tangibility of service offerings | Microsoft HoloLens Studio; wearable smartglasses |
| Heller et al. (2021) | Service automation | AR service automation can be described through a five-stage technology-enabled engagement process | Service providers can stimulate engagement with automated services, and reduce their intangibility, by communicating these through AR technology | Orange after sales support app VodafoneZiggo WiFi assistant; smartphone or tablet |
| Hilken et al. (2017) | Online service experience | AR enables simulated physical control and environmental embedding of service offerings, which increases the value of the online service experience | Service providers can provide an expanded service scope online, thus enhancing online communication with and by customers | Mister Spex online try-on; smartphone, tablet, or desktop pc |
| Hilken et al. (2020) | Shared online decision making | Communicating purchase advice through AR-enhanced visuals leads to social empowerment and decision-making comfort for those involved | AR supports customers in communicating and making shared decisions about products or services in online settings | Akzo Nobel Dulux Visualizer; smartphone or tablet |
| Plotkina et al. (2021) | Service brand personality | Non-location-specific and product-oriented AR apps lead to more exciting, sincere, competent, and sophisticated service brand associations | Service providers can better convey their intended brand image/personality through the pleasurable and playful nature of AR. | Instagram AR filters; smartphone or tablet |
| tom Dieck et al. (2018) | Tourism | Wearable AR solutions help visitors to see connections between paintings and personalize their learning experience | Service providers can better “educate” customers, but wearable AR suffers from a lack of visitor–to-visitor engagement and social acceptability | The Smithsonian “Skin and Bone”; smartphone or tablet |
| Virtual reality (VR) | ||||
| Boyd and Koles (2019) | B2B buyer-supplier interactions | VR has significant potential to improve B2B interactions in the post–purchase phase | B2B service providers can use VR to better coordinate and integrate their resources with buyers, and hence create value-in-use for them | Airbus cabin design; headset |
| Bogicevic et al. (2019) | Tourism | An online VR-preview supports mental imagery of a physical servicescape and leads to more favorable brand experience | Service providers can better communicate the quality of their service (servicecapes) when customers are physically distant | Shangri-La resort tours; smartphone or headset |
| Hudson et al. (2019) | Tourism | The use of VR in a physical servicescape leads to immersion and, in turn, positive effects on satisfaction and loyalty | Service providers can communicate additional, or highly experiential information to customers in addition to a primarily physical core service | VR in the Vineyard wine tasting; smartphone or headset |
| Itani and Hollebeek (2021) | Tourism | Social distancing increases (decreases) visitors' intent to use VR (in-person) tours during the COVID-19 pandemic | Service providers can communicate and deliver service through VR, replacing physical service to some extent (during the COVID-19 pandemic) | Google Tour Creator; smartphone or headset |
| Kandaurova and Lee (2019) | Transformative services | VR increases intentions to donate time and money, by stimulating sensed empathy, guilt, and responsibility | Customers can better communicate the perspective of the beneficiaries of their service to potential donors | UNICEF VR campaigns; smartphone or headset |
| Pleyers and Poncin (2020) | Real estate brokerage | Presenting real estate properties in VR, stimulates positive attitudes toward both the offering and the service provider | Service providers can better communicate the quality of their service (servicecapes) when customers are physically distant | Sotheby's Realty virtual open houses; smartphone or headset |
| Tussyadiah et al. (2018) | Tourism | VR increases enjoyment and leads to a stronger liking, preference, and intention to visit a tourist destination | Service providers can better communicate the quality of their service (servicecapes) when customers are physically distant | Prague VR “City Walk”; smartphone or headset |
| Reference | Service context | Key findings | Potential for enhancing service communication | Example application and devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Complex servicescapes | Compared to a traditional 2D map, AR-based navigation reduces complexity and leads to higher overall service satisfaction | Customers are relieved of some mental/physical effort and can better communicate with other customers and/or service providers | London Gatwick Airport passenger app; smartphone or tablet | |
| Frontline service interactions | Service providers can better communicate the value of their offerings at the online and offline service frontline | QReal restaurant menus; smartphone or tablet | ||
| Multisensory service experiences | Gesture (vs. voice) control of an | Microsoft HoloLens Studio; wearable smartglasses | ||
| Service automation | Service providers can stimulate engagement with automated services, and reduce their intangibility, by communicating these through | Orange after sales support app | ||
| Online service experience | Service providers can provide an expanded service scope online, thus enhancing online communication with and by customers | Mister Spex online try-on; smartphone, tablet, or desktop pc | ||
| Shared online decision making | Communicating purchase advice through AR-enhanced visuals leads to social empowerment and decision-making comfort for those involved | Akzo Nobel Dulux Visualizer; smartphone or tablet | ||
| Service brand personality | Non-location-specific and product-oriented | Service providers can better convey their intended brand image/personality through the pleasurable and playful nature of | Instagram | |
| Tourism | Wearable | Service providers can better “educate” customers, but wearable | The Smithsonian “Skin and Bone”; smartphone or tablet | |
| B2B buyer-supplier interactions | VR has significant potential to improve B2B interactions in the post–purchase phase | B2B service providers can use VR to better coordinate and integrate their resources with buyers, and hence create value-in-use for them | Airbus cabin design; headset | |
| Tourism | An online VR-preview supports mental imagery of a physical servicescape and leads to more favorable brand experience | Service providers can better communicate the quality of their service (servicecapes) when customers are physically distant | Shangri-La resort tours; smartphone or headset | |
| Tourism | The use of VR in a physical servicescape leads to immersion and, in turn, positive effects on satisfaction and loyalty | Service providers can communicate additional, or highly experiential information to customers in addition to a primarily physical core service | VR in the Vineyard wine tasting; smartphone or headset | |
| Tourism | Social distancing increases (decreases) visitors' intent to use VR (in-person) tours during the COVID-19 pandemic | Service providers can communicate and deliver service through VR, replacing physical service to some extent (during the COVID-19 pandemic) | Google Tour Creator; smartphone or headset | |
| Transformative services | VR increases intentions to donate time and money, by stimulating sensed empathy, guilt, and responsibility | Customers can better communicate the perspective of the beneficiaries of their service to potential donors | UNICEF VR campaigns; smartphone or headset | |
| Real estate brokerage | Presenting real estate properties in VR, stimulates positive attitudes toward both the offering and the service provider | Service providers can better communicate the quality of their service (servicecapes) when customers are physically distant | Sotheby's Realty virtual open houses; smartphone or headset | |
| Tourism | VR increases enjoyment and leads to a stronger liking, preference, and intention to visit a tourist destination | Service providers can better communicate the quality of their service (servicecapes) when customers are physically distant | Prague VR “City Walk”; smartphone or headset | |
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