Virtual Assistants - A Study on the Usability and User Perception of Customer Service Systems for E-Commerce

Abstract

Virtual assistants are able to support users in finding the right information. These programs use natural language processing, learning techniques and social abilities to offer adequate usability experiences for users. In e-commerce, virtual assistants are applied to support users in finding appropriate service information or products. This work evaluates the information service quality of three virtual assistants on e-commerce websites. The analyzed aspects cover service quality as well as user perception of virtual assistant systems. First results show that the apparent technology used in the construction of the virtual assistant has a substantial influence on user experience, by the users’ perceived interaction with the assistant becoming more intuitive and therefore more enjoyable. Overall, all assistants were met with a general sense of enthusiasm. However, scores on the usefulness of the services show that they need to be improved regarding several relevant features.