Interplay between Performance and Convenience in Customer Choice of Self-Service Technologies

Technological enhancements bring more convenience to customers by providing opportunities to do various service transactions through Self Service Technologies (SSTs). However, a very few studies focused on understanding SSTs profoundly. Thus, this research focuses on exploring performance and convenience related to SSTs in detail. Based on the inductive research approach, qualitative interviews were conducted with 25 SST users and data were analyzed using thematic analysis approach. The study found eight performance features; ‘usefulness, speed, efficiency, consistency, cost-effectiveness, user-friendliness, reliability, trialability’ and three convenience features; ‘locational convenience, time convenience and physical exertion’ as important in customer choice of SSTs. This study fills the gap in the literature by discussing two important matters in customer choice of SSTs in detail. It opens theoretical lenses to understand the significance of self-service technologies to customers from its performance and convenience perspectives. It provides useful insights for SST service providers that can be incorporated to their SSTs in designing and delivering a high-quality service which matches with the customer expectations.