The Moderating Role of Customer-Technology Contact on Attitude Towards Technology-Based Services

Previous studies in information systems research and service marketing treat customer behavior towards technology-based services homogeneously. However, recent studies recognize that users have different attitude towards different technologies even if these technologies used to support the same service. Drawing on literature from service marketing (i.e. customer contact theory), information systems, (unified theory of technology acceptance) and organizational behavior (task complexity theory), this study proposes a construct that classifies technology-based services according to the level of customer-technology interaction they require, namely the Customer-Technology Contact. The moderating effect of this construct on the relationship between individual characteristics –i.e. technology readinessand attitude towards technology-based services is examined through an empirical study. Technology-based retail services scenarios, with different levels of technology contact, are presented to supermarket shoppers (n=600). Results show that customer technology contact, as a unique service attribute, moderates the effect of personality traits to customers’ attitude. The current study introduces this new service attribute that is applicable to ubiquitous computing services, application and design.