Modelling client adoption of robo-advisors in Thailand: the impact of trust and situational factors

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated clients' robo-advisors adoption as a digital financial advisory platform in Thailand. Drawing upon relationship marketing theory, this study examines the influence of trust, technology anxiety, and satisfaction with current financial advisory services on intention to use. It also explores the moderating effects of switching costs and the attractiveness of alternatives. Utilizing data from 401 Thai investors, structural equation modelling (SEM) is employed for data analysis. Results indicate that trust not only directly influences the intention to use robo-advisors but also mediates the influence of technology anxiety and current service satisfaction on usage intention. Attractiveness of alternatives strengthens the effect of trust while switching costs do not show a significant impact. This study broadens the services marketing and relationship marketing literature, highlighting a key mediating role of trust in navigating robo-advisors usage during and post the pandemic.