Contrasting frontline employees with service robots
| Dimension | Service employees | Service robots |
|---|---|---|
| Micro: service training and learning | Act as individuals Need training Individual learning Limited memory and access Understanding needed | Act as part of systems, are connected Upgradable, system-wide System learning Virtually endless memory and access Pattern recognition |
| Micro: customer experience | Heterogeneous output Customization and personalization depend on employee skill and effort Unintended biases | Homogenous output Customization and personalization can be delivered on scale at consistent quality and performance Potentially no biases |
| Have genuine emotions Can engage in deep acting | Can mimic emotions Can engage in surface acting | |
| Can engage in out-of-box thinking and creative problem solving Good in professional service roles (PSRs) | Limited out-of-box thinking, has rule-bound limits Good in subordinate service roles (SSRs) | |
| Meso: market level | Service employees can be a source of competitive advantage High incremental cost Low economies of scale and scope Differentiation on service can be based on better hiring, selection, training, motivation, and organization of service employees | Service robots are unlikely to be a source of competitive advantage Low incremental cost High economies of scale and scope Economies of scale and scope and related network and service platform effects will become important sources of competitive advantage |
| Macro: societal level | Important services are expensive and scarce if delivered by service employees (e.g. healthcare) Many service employees work in unattractive jobs (e.g. call center agents and cashiers) | Cost savings of robot-delivered services will be competed away, leading to lower prices, and increased consumption and higher standards of living Mundane and unattractive service jobs can be robot-delivered |
| Dimension | Service employees | Service robots |
|---|---|---|
| Micro: service training and learning | Act as individuals | Act as part of systems, are connected |
| Micro: | Heterogeneous output | Homogenous output |
| Have genuine emotions | Can mimic emotions | |
| Can engage in out-of-box thinking and creative problem solving | Limited out-of-box thinking, has rule-bound limits | |
| Meso: | Service employees can be a source of competitive advantage | Service robots are unlikely to be a source of competitive advantage |
| Macro: | Important services are expensive and scarce if delivered by service employees (e.g. healthcare) | Cost savings of robot-delivered services will be competed away, leading to lower prices, and increased consumption and higher standards of living |
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