Managing service failures of hotel robots by combining the Kano model with the service blueprint
Hongyan Yang, Hong Xu, Ying Qu · Current Issues in Tourism · 2025
This study aims to analyse the failure attributes related to the hotel robots with different functionalities, classify them using the Kano model and create a service blueprint for managing hotel robot failures. The attributes of robot failures are derived from previous research and the Critical Incident Technique method. Subsequently, these attributes are categorised using the Kano model, with data obtained from a questionnaire completed by 477 individuals who have interacted with hotel robots. This study finds that there are 32 failure attributes and most occurred with reception robots, self-check-in out robots, room robots and delivery robots. These failure attributes can be classified into attractive quality, one-dimensional quality and must-be quality by the Kano model. Some Kano quality categories of failure attributes show significant differences based on the travel purpose. Additionally, this study develops a service blueprint for managing failures of hotel robots with Kano quality types and customer dis/satisfaction coefficients.