IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joreco/v76y2024ics0969698923003508.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring the influence mechanism of chatbot-expressed humor on service satisfaction in online customer service

Author

Listed:
  • Xie, Yuguang
  • Liang, Changyong
  • Zhou, Peiyu
  • Jiang, Li

Abstract

As chatbots gain widespread adoption in online customer service, optimizing their inherent value and enhancing customer satisfaction emerges as an indispensable concern necessitating attention. Therefore, this study focuses on the effect of chatbot-expressed humor on customer service satisfaction from the perspective of emotional expression and constructs three mediating pathways (cognitive, emotional, and social). The results of two online and one laboratory-based experiment show that chatbot-expressed humor can significantly enhance customer service satisfaction. The impact of humor on service satisfaction was mediated by competence, entertainment, and social presence. Moreover, identity disclosure exerts a negative moderating influence on the association between chatbot-expressed humor and both service satisfaction and competence. Through this study, we hope to provide ideas for online service providers to adopt AI strategies and for product designers to improve the design of chatbots.

Suggested Citation

  • Xie, Yuguang & Liang, Changyong & Zhou, Peiyu & Jiang, Li, 2024. "Exploring the influence mechanism of chatbot-expressed humor on service satisfaction in online customer service," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:76:y:2024:i:c:s0969698923003508
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103599
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969698923003508
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103599?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:76:y:2024:i:c:s0969698923003508. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-retailing-and-consumer-services .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.