Assessing customer interactions with chatbots in online shopping experiences

Abstract

Chatbots are website artificial intelligence-based and automated customer support tools to improve the customer experience, to reduce costs, and to improve service quality. This study aims to understand and analyze the user-technology interaction and technology-engagement success measures to assess online customer engagement with chatbots and the impact on repurchase intention, within e-commerce websites. The sample data consists of 227 online consumer responses collected through an electronic survey. Only 165 respondents, which have used a chatbot to assist the online purchase process, are included in the effective sample. This research contributes to the digital marketing literature by complementing existing research exploring human-technology interactions, assessing how consumers interact with chatbot technology and how it affects customer engagement and behavioral outcomes within e-retail contexts. The study findings provide several challenges for managers. Finally, it discusses emerging trends in the digital marketing field, offering insights for future research avenues.