The power of senses: how sensory cues in online reviews shape consumers’ acceptance of service robots

Purpose Online reviews are an important source of information that influence consumer perceptions and acceptance of service robots. This study aims to investigate how sensory cues, diversity and emotions related to service robots in online reviews shape consumers’ mental simulation of service experiences and their willingness to accept the use of service robots. Design/methodology/approach A secondary data analysis of 15,362 online reviews and four scenario-based experiments were conducted to investigate this issue. Findings Sensory cues (visual, auditory and tactile) and sensory diversity related to service robots in online reviews significantly enhance consumers’ mental simulation of service experiences, thereby increasing their willingness to accept the use of service robots. Moreover, although negative sensory cues evoke stronger mental simulation than positive ones, they ultimately reduce acceptance intentions. Practical implications Hotel managers should encourage guests to describe sensory experiences of robotic services in their reviews and effectively address negative sensory cues to minimize their adverse impact on consumers’ acceptance of service robots. Originality/value This study advances sensory marketing theory in robotic services by shifting the focus from direct human–robot interactions to indirect, text-based sensory cues in online reviews. It also introduces two novel constructs, sensory diversity and sensory emotions, offer new insights into how textual sensory information shapes consumer perceptions and intentions.