The influence of chatbot’s tone of voice on customer satisfaction and intentions in online retail
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu18.2024.405Abstract
Purpose: the purpose of this study is to determine the influence of different chatbot tones of voice on customer intentions and satisfaction.
Methodology: an online survey-based experiment with a between-subjects design, in which participants were allocated to one of six groups and asked to evaluate one of hypothetical scenarios that describes a chatbot–customer interaction using one of three tones of voice (formal, empathic or humorous) in one of two contexts (pre purchase inquiry or after-purchase problem solving).
Findings: the results show that an empathic tone of voice makes the customer perceive a chatbot as human, which in turn has a positive effect on customer satisfaction and willingness to recommend the company but does not affect willingness to use the chatbot. A humorous tone of voice negatively affects aforementioned consumer reactions.
Originality and contribution: the study is the first to compare the effects of two chatbots’ informal tones of voice on both attitudinal and behavioral consumer reactions. The results can be considered by online retailers when designing the user interface of chatbots.
Keywords:
chatbots, tone of voice, humor, empathy, satisfaction, customer experience, willingness to recommend, e-commerce
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References
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Translation of references in Russian into English
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Published
2024-12-30
How to Cite
Golovacheva, K. S., & Ivannikov, R. V. (2024). The influence of chatbot’s tone of voice on customer satisfaction and intentions in online retail. Russian Management Journal, 22(4), 719–741. https://doi.org/10.21638/spbu18.2024.405
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Theoretical and Empirical Studies
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Articles of the Russian Management Journal are open access distributed under the terms of the License Agreement with Saint Petersburg State University, which permits to the authors unrestricted distribution and self-archiving free of charge.
