IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/rfa/smcjnl/v11y2023i7p401-414.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Drivers of Customer Satisfaction in Interactions with Virtual Agents: Evidence from South Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Kival Dhavraj
  • Tinashe T R Ndoro

Abstract

The advent of the fourth industrial revolution has increased the application of artificial intelligence in various marketing related activities. Organisations are increasingly using artificial intelligence through virtual agents to aid and facilitate interactions with consumers. Clearly, virtual agents need to be capable of fulfilling customer needs. However, it raises the question of whether they should be cold and unfeeling or should imitate the most innate human qualities. This research therefore set out to examine what impact humanness, perceived agency, trust, and emotionality have on customer satisfaction in interactions with virtual agents, or, more specifically, AI chatbots. A quantitative research design was employed in the study. Data were collected by using a survey questionnaire and a total of 207 respondents were obtained. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS 28, where a linear regression was performed. The results indicate that humanness and perceived agency were significant predictors of customer satisfaction. On the other hand, emotionality and trust were not significant predictors. The results of this research have theoretical and practical implications for both practitioners and researchers.

Suggested Citation

  • Kival Dhavraj & Tinashe T R Ndoro, 2023. "The Drivers of Customer Satisfaction in Interactions with Virtual Agents: Evidence from South Africa," Studies in Media and Communication, Redfame publishing, vol. 11(7), pages 401-414, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:rfa:smcjnl:v:11:y:2023:i:7:p:401-414
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://redfame.com/journal/index.php/smc/article/download/6365/6380
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://redfame.com/journal/index.php/smc/article/view/6365
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Pankaj Aggarwal & Ann L. McGill, 2007. "Is That Car Smiling at Me? Schema Congruity as a Basis for Evaluating Anthropomorphized Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 34(4), pages 468-479, June.
    2. Erjavec, Jure & Manfreda, Anton, 2022. "Online shopping adoption during COVID-19 and social isolation: Extending the UTAUT model with herd behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Darima Fotheringham & Michael A. Wiles, 2023. "The effect of implementing chatbot customer service on stock returns: an event study analysis," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 51(4), pages 802-822, July.
    2. Kim, Juran & Kang, Seungmook & Bae, Joonheui, 2022. "Human likeness and attachment effect on the perceived interactivity of AI speakers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 797-804.
    3. Irina Heimbach & Oliver Hinz, 2018. "The Impact of Sharing Mechanism Design on Content Sharing in Online Social Networks," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 29(3), pages 592-611, September.
    4. Aubel Martin & Pikturniene Indre & Joye Yannick, 2022. "Risk Perception and Risk Behavior in Response to Service Robot Anthropomorphism in Banking," Journal of Management and Business Administration. Central Europe, Sciendo, vol. 30(2), pages 26-42, June.
    5. Sebastian Molinillo & Francisco Rejón-Guardia & Rafael Anaya-Sánchez, 2023. "Exploring the antecedents of customers’ willingness to use service robots in restaurants," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 17(1), pages 167-193, March.
    6. Malgorzata Karpinska-Krakowiak & Lukasz Skowron & Lachezar Ivanov, 2020. "“I Will Start Saving Natural Resources, Only When You Show Me the Planet as a Person in Danger”: The Effects of Message Framing and Anthropomorphism on Pro-Environmental Behaviors that are Viewed as E," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-14, July.
    7. Sohyun Bae, 2021. "Holding an entity mind-set deters consumption of recycled content products: the role of perceived product quality," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 18(4), pages 553-571, December.
    8. Thomas P. Novak & Donna L. Hoffman, 2019. "Relationship journeys in the internet of things: a new framework for understanding interactions between consumers and smart objects," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 216-237, March.
    9. Jacob C. Lee & Sara Kim & Phyllis Xue Wang, 2022. "Anthropomorphizing makes material goods as happiness-inducing as experiences," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 61-73, March.
    10. Han, Jie & Wang, Desheng & Yang, Zhihao, 2023. "Acting like an interpersonal relationship: Cobrand anthropomorphism increases product evaluation and purchase intention," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    11. Han, Nah Ray & Baek, Tae Hyun & Yoon, Sukki & Kim, Yeonshin, 2019. "Is that coffee mug smiling at me? How anthropomorphism impacts the effectiveness of desirability vs. feasibility appeals in sustainability advertising," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 352-361.
    12. Soderlund, Magnus & Oikarinen, Eeva-Liisa & Tan, Teck Ming, 2021. "The happy virtual agent and its impact on the human customer in the service encounter," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    13. Oana Țugulea, 2017. "City Brand Personality—Relations with Dimensions and Dimensions Inter-Relations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-22, December.
    14. Noor Hasmini Binti Abd Ghani & Mohammad Kashedul Wahab Tuhin, 2016. "Consumer Brand Relationships," International Review of Management and Marketing, Econjournals, vol. 6(4), pages 950-957.
    15. Kathleen Cleeren & Marnik G. Dekimpe & Harald J. Heerde, 2017. "Marketing research on product-harm crises: a review, managerial implications, and an agenda for future research," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 45(5), pages 593-615, September.
    16. Alvarez, Claudio & David, Meredith E. & George, Morris, 2023. "Types of Consumer-Brand Relationships: A systematic review and future research agenda," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    17. Sarun Amatyakul & Kawpong Polyorat, 2018. "The application of brand personality concept to the city context in Thailand," Journal of Administrative and Business Studies, Professor Dr. Usman Raja, vol. 4(2), pages 54-64.
    18. Ethan LaMothe & Donna Bobek, 2020. "Are Individuals More Willing to Lie to a Computer or a Human? Evidence from a Tax Compliance Setting," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 167(2), pages 157-180, November.
    19. Gonçalves, Joana & Guerreiro, Manuela & Mendes, Júlio & Pereira, Luís, 2018. "Events Brand Personality: Insights From Music Festivals In Portugal," Journal of Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, Cinturs - Research Centre for Tourism, Sustainability and Well-being, University of Algarve, vol. 6(3), pages 326-343.
    20. Baumert, Thomas & de Obesso, María de las Mercedes, 2021. "Brand antiquity and value perception: Are customers willing to pay higher prices for older brands?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 241-254.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • R00 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General - - - General
    • Z0 - Other Special Topics - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:rfa:smcjnl:v:11:y:2023:i:7:p:401-414. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: Redfame publishing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/cepflch.html .

    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.