Purpose – Using retail banking as a setting and focusing specifically on elderly customers (i.e. individuals
aged 60 or more), this study aims to deepen the current understanding of how the physical context and the need
for human interaction influence elderly customers’ attitudes toward self-service technologies (SSTs) and their
behavior.
Design/methodology/approach – Using face-to-face questionnaires, a sample of 505 elderly bank
customers was collected. Data were analyzed using a multi-method approach, combining a moderated
mediation analysis with a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.
Findings – The findings suggest that a pleasant retail space may result in a positive attitude toward SSTs,
which increases their co-creation intention. It also highlights that need for interaction of elderly customers with
employees has detrimental effects on their attitude toward SSTs.
Research limitations/implications – The current analysis was carried out among Italian elderly banks’
customers. Thus, the results are highly dependent on the context of the analysis. In addition, it does not
consider the different degrees of knowledge and experience the elderly may have with technology.
Practical implications – This study suggests that providing access and support for using technology may
be essential for banks to facilitate SSTs adoption in elderly customers.
Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first attempt to examine
the influence of the physical context on elderly customers’ attitudes toward SSTs and their consequent
behavioral intentions. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of the human touch for these particular
customers.
