Abstract:
Purpose: This paper aims at creating a sense of understanding about the reasons for
customer choices when it comes to self-service kiosks in performing service
transactions.
Design/methodology/approach: In exploring the research aims, semi-structured
interviews were conducted with twenty-five selected customers based on a nonprobabilistic purposeful sampling method and data were analysed using the application
of a thematic analysis method.
Findings: The study found that nine primary factors played a role in a customer’ choice
of self-service kiosks. These factors were classified into three conceptual domains as
factors related to ‘self-service technologies’, ‘individuals’ and ‘society.’
Research Limitations/Implications: The study is exploratory and was conducted with
25 respondents. Further, it was limited to kiosks disregarding other types of SelfService-Technologies (SSTs). Thus, findings may not be able to generalize all types of
SSTs or to a larger population.
Practical Implications: This classification provides a holistic picture on SST
acceptance, particularly self-service kiosks, which was lacking in previous research
work. The study draws the attention of practitioners to ensure whether the SST Kiosks
provided by them are positively linked with these varieties of influences in motivating
customer acceptance.
Originality/Value: This can be considered as a frontier study, which provides a novel
understanding on reasons behind customer’s choice in SST kiosks that enhance the
scientific utility of the paper. As practical utilities, it guides service providers on
designing and delivering their technological interfaces to match customer expectations
which gain competitive advantages in return
