Service Customization through “High-Touch” and “High-Tech”

In the service field, there is an increasing trend for service firms to replace service activities previously performed by humans with technologies. Balancing human flexibility with the reliability of technology is an important issue in service design. We conducted three empirical studies on how human touch and technology-based service experiences affect customer evaluation of service quality. Results revealed that availability of human touch moderates the effect of customer expectations on the evaluation of service quality, whereas availability of technology-based service moderates the effect of customer service on the evaluation of service quality. We also found that the effects vary depending on the degree of customer experience. These findings obtained from our studies have some practical implications for business. Finally, some issues for future research of service customization are presented.