The Effect of Zoomorphic AI Robot Design on Consumer Tolerance of Service Failures: The Mediating Role of Perceived Warmth

ABSTRACT As artificial intelligence (AI) service robots become increasingly prevalent, service failures remain a persistent challenge, highlighting the need for effective recovery strategies. In recent years, zoomorphic robots have gained increasing application in service contexts. Zoomorphic design refers to AI service robots that incorporate animal‐like physical characteristics, such as ears, tails, or expressive facial elements. This research examines how zoomorphic design influences consumer tolerance of service failures. Across four experimental studies, we demonstrate that zoomorphic robots significantly increase consumer tolerance of service failures compared to non‐zoomorphic robots. This effect is driven by perceived warmth, suggesting that animal‐like features elicit more favorable emotional responses. Moreover, this effect is moderated by form realism, where high form realism mitigates the positive effects of zoomorphic robots. The findings offer a novel perspective on consumer responses to AI service failures and contribute to the literature on robot design and service recovery.