Understanding consumers’ acceptance of automated technologies in service encounters: Drivers of digital voice assistants adoption

•Drivers of AI digital voice assistants’ adoption in service encounters are examined.•The Service Robot Acceptance Model (sRAM) is validated and extended.•Functional, social and relational elements explain 88% of user acceptance variance.•Customer-robot rapport influence is validated, but humanness may not drive adoption.•User experience and preference for human interactions play a moderating role.