Robots vs humans: an examination of emotional and cognitive responses in upselling and cross-selling

Purpose: Besides the mainstream discussion around customer expectation, this study aims to review would customer surprise be influential in up- and cross-selling. Although hotel customers are becoming more used to robotic services, due to a negative impression of the robot’s lack of warmth, other customers still prefer the human-to-human services. Thus, what happens when up- and cross-selling are delivered by a robot versus human salesperson? Design/methodology/approach: This study designs three experiments to investigate how guests would be surprised by a human or robot salesperson when checking in following a scenario of up- and cross-selling. This paper has three studies and data were collected through an online survey with the United States residents (n = 270). Findings: This study validates that when up- and cross-selling are conducted separately, a human salesperson performs a better job in terms of achieving higher customer surprise, satisfaction, perceived value and reuse intention. When promoting both up- and cross-selling together, a robot salesperson has a more competitive performance in all examined measures. Research limitations/implications: This study contributes elucidations on a theoretical conception of Appraisal Tendency Framework and extends the idiomatic impression that humans are more favorable than robots when an intensive personal interaction is involved. Practical implications: This study inspires hospitality practitioners an optimal strategy in adopting human or robot employees for up- and cross-selling. Suggestions for marketing management and service operation with analytical methods are elucidated. Originality/value: This study not just fills all indicated knowledge voids but proffers theoretical and practical insights.