Effects of the anthropomorphic image of intelligent customer service avatars on consumers' willingness to interact after service failures

IF 9.6 2区管理学 Q1 BUSINESS

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing Pub Date : 2023-03-06 DOI:10.1108/jrim-06-2022-0164

Q. Yao, Ling Kuai, Lan Jiang

{"title":"Effects of the anthropomorphic image of intelligent customer service avatars on consumers' willingness to interact after service failures","authors":"Q. Yao, Ling Kuai, Lan Jiang","doi":"10.1108/jrim-06-2022-0164","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"PurposeIntelligent customer service has started replacing human employees in providing services to customers in numerous industries. Based on the expectancy disconfirmation theory, this study explores how different types of anthropomorphic avatar images of the intelligent customer service would affect consumer responses such as the willingness to interact, in the context of a service failure. The underlying mechanism and boundary conditions are also examined.Design/methodology/approachTwo experimental studies were conducted to investigate the effect of the anthropomorphic image of intelligent customer service on consumers' willingness to interact and the potential role of consumer expectation and disappointment, following a service failure (Study 1). The moderating effect of anthropomorphic type was also explored (Study 2).FindingsIn the context of a customer service failure, an anthropomorphized intelligent customer service avatar that appeared competent (vs. warm) induced higher customer disappointment. However, if the anthropomorphic avatar had a cartoon-like appearance, the effect of avatar image perception (competent vs. warm) on consumers' willingness to interact diminishes.Originality/valueThis research enriches and expands the literature on interactive marketing and artificial intelligence and provides practical guidance for companies to design or choose avatar images for intelligent customer service.","PeriodicalId":47116,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":9.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"1","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing","FirstCategoryId":"91","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1108/jrim-06-2022-0164","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BUSINESS","Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 1

Abstract

PurposeIntelligent customer service has started replacing human employees in providing services to customers in numerous industries. Based on the expectancy disconfirmation theory, this study explores how different types of anthropomorphic avatar images of the intelligent customer service would affect consumer responses such as the willingness to interact, in the context of a service failure. The underlying mechanism and boundary conditions are also examined.Design/methodology/approachTwo experimental studies were conducted to investigate the effect of the anthropomorphic image of intelligent customer service on consumers' willingness to interact and the potential role of consumer expectation and disappointment, following a service failure (Study 1). The moderating effect of anthropomorphic type was also explored (Study 2).FindingsIn the context of a customer service failure, an anthropomorphized intelligent customer service avatar that appeared competent (vs. warm) induced higher customer disappointment. However, if the anthropomorphic avatar had a cartoon-like appearance, the effect of avatar image perception (competent vs. warm) on consumers' willingness to interact diminishes.Originality/valueThis research enriches and expands the literature on interactive marketing and artificial intelligence and provides practical guidance for companies to design or choose avatar images for intelligent customer service.

查看原文本刊更多论文

智能客服化身的拟人化形象对服务失败后消费者互动意愿的影响

目的智能客户服务已经开始取代人类员工为许多行业的客户提供服务。基于期望-不确认理论，本研究探讨了在服务失败的情况下，智能客服的不同类型的拟人化身形象将如何影响消费者的反应，如互动意愿。还研究了潜在的机制和边界条件。设计/方法/方法进行了两项实验研究，以调查智能客服的拟人化形象对消费者互动意愿的影响，以及服务失败后消费者期望和失望的潜在作用（研究1）。研究还探讨了拟人化类型的调节作用（研究2）。发现在客户服务失败的背景下，拟人化的智能客户服务化身表现出胜任（与热情）会引起更高的客户失望。然而，如果拟人化的化身有卡通般的外表，化身形象感知（胜任与热情）对消费者互动意愿的影响就会减弱。原创性/价值本研究丰富和扩展了互动营销和人工智能方面的文献，并为公司设计或选择智能客服的头像提供了实践指导。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

求助全文

约1分钟内获得全文求助全文

来源期刊

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing BUSINESS-

CiteScore

17.80

自引率

17.10%

发文量

期刊介绍： The mission of the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing is to address substantive issues in interactive, relationship, electronic, direct and multi-channel marketing and marketing management. ISSN: 2040-7122 eISSN: 2040-7122 With its origins in the discipline and practice of direct marketing, the Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing (JRIM) aims to publish progressive, innovative and rigorous scholarly research for marketing academics and practitioners.