Customer-focused AI-powered tools in hotels : Exploring customer experiences and its influence on trust in the Swedish hospitality industry

Sammanfattning

Background: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being embedded into the hospitality industry by using tools like AI-powered chatbots, recommendation systems and personalized marketing, Hotels implement these tools to foster operational efficiency and improve personalized service to its guests to build customer trust. While AI has its benefits in terms of optimizing service quality, concerns regarding ethics, privacy and transparency have remained. Most existing studies on this topic were quantitative analysis focused on managerial aspects of AI adoption, leaving a gap for a qualitative research for better insight into customer’ perception of AI in hotels. Purpose: This study investigates the perception and experiences of hotel customers with AI-powered tools and its influence on customer trust in the hotel. We apply the SERVQUAL theory which seeks to find the gap between guests’ expectation and actual perception of experience or service received. The Commitment-Trust theory of relationship which stipulates the relevance of commitment and trust in building long-term customer relationship is used to complement SERVQUAL. With these two theories, the study aims to examine whether quality of Service rendered by AI has any impact on their trust. Method: Using a purposive and convenience sampling method, interviews were conducted with 20 participants who have resided in hotels in Sweden. After transcription and anonymization of collected data, an inductive thematic analysis method was used to generate code. Related codes were then grouped to form distinctive themes. Created themes were backed by participant quotes. Conclusion: After in-depth investigations, the findings suggest that although customers recognize the relevance of AI for increased operational efficiency, they valued human interaction, especially in a service-oriented establishment like a hotel over AI-powered tools. Evidence indicates that the quality of service rendered by AI tools in hotels was not perceived as a key factor influencing customer trust in the hotel, but rather other factors such as service quality received from human employees, the price and overall physical condition of the hotel had a bigger impact on customer trust. Findings suggest that relational trust in the hospitality industry continues to be intimately dependent on empathy and accountability only humans can offer, and the grade of physical service offered in a hotel.