Circular vs angular: “shaping” consumer responses to robot service failure

Purpose This research aims to examine the effect of robot shape (circular vs angular) on consumer satisfaction in robot service failure contexts, explore the mediating effect of perceived warmth, and the moderating role of robot voice (child voice vs adult voice). Design/methodology/approach A pilot study based on secondary data from Ctrip and five experiments (n = 1287) examined the effect of robot shape on consumer satisfaction (Studies 1, W1, 2a, 2b, 3) and retention intention (Studies 1, 2a), the mediating effect of perceived warmth (Studies 2a, 2b), and the moderating effect of robot voice (Study 3). Findings Compared to angular robots, consumers respond more positively to service failures caused by circular robots. This effect is driven by warmth perception and is diminished when the robot uses a child voice (vs an adult voice). Practical implications This research offers insights for managers in the hospitality industry by showing that deploying circular robots can mitigate consumer dissatisfaction during robot service failures. When the robot shape cannot be easily modified, leveraging auditory cues, such as adopting a child voice for angular robots, can enhance perceived warmth and improve consumer satisfaction. Originality/value This research advances the robot service failure and shape symbolism literature by demonstrating how robot shape influences consumer satisfaction during robot service failures. Moreover, it introduces a multisensory perspective on robot design by revealing a novel cross-modal compensation effect between robot shape and voice.