Examining satisfaction with the experience during a live chat service encounter- implications for website providers

This paper furthers our understanding of online customer support with regard to online live chat systems. Online live chat systems allow customers to seek service related information from an organisation via online-based synchronous media with a human service representative who provides answers through such media. With use of a web-based survey involving 302 respondents of real-life live chat service experiences with mobile phone network providers in the UK and through the use of structural equation modelling, the aim of this research is to understand the variables capable of influencing a customer's satisfaction with their experience during an online live chat service encounter. The results indicate the importance of service quality, information quality and system quality variables influencing satisfaction with the experience, while such influence is dependent on the purpose of use. Additionally, the results outline the role of emoticons, presence of service reps picture, automated 'canned' responses and the presence of response time estimations in moderating the influence of service quality, information quality and system quality variables on satisfaction with the experience

STRATEGI KEUNGGULAN BERSAING UMKM BROWNMIX: INTEGRASI MEDIA SOSIAL DAN INOVASI PRODUK DALAM STUDI DESKRIPTIF

Penelitian ini mengungkap bagaimana media sosial dan inovasi produk menjadi kunci keunggulan bersaing bagi UMKM Brownmix. Dengan metode deskriptif, studi ini menggali pemanfaatan media sosial untuk pemasaran dan promosi, serta efek inovasi produk dalam diferensiasi pasar.  Fokus khusus  diberikan  pada  strategi  media  sosial  Brownmix  dalam menggaet audiens lebih luas, serta bagaimana inovasi produknya, termasuk ice cheesecake, memperkaya nilai tambah bisnis. Hasilnya menunjukkan kualitas produk superior, penggunaan efektif media sosial dalam branding, dan pelayanan pelanggan yang memuaskan, semua berkontribusi pada posisi kompetitif Brownmix di pasar

UGA or TAM: Which Approach Explains Digital Voice Assistant Acceptance Better?

Digital voice assistants (DVAs) have the potential to radically change the communication between companies and their customers in the near future. However, despite enormous cost and convenience reduction advantages for both sides, their acceptance is still limited and even tools for measuring their acceptance are missing. Consequently, in this paper, we investigate whether the Uses and Gratifications Approach (UGA) and/or the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is/are better suited for this purpose. We have a closer look on a popular DVA – Google Assistant – and investigate DVA acceptance in a navigation and sightseeing context using a field experiment and a follow-up questionnaire (n=173 participants). The results are promising: Both approaches (UGA and TAM) are valid tools. Pastime, expediency, and enjoyment demonstrate to be important drivers for using DVAs

Measuring Service Encounter Satisfaction with Customer Service Chatbots using Sentiment Analysis

Chatbots are software-based systems designed to interact with humans using text-based natural language and have attracted considerable interest in online service encounters. In this context, service providers face the challenge of measuring chatbot service encounter satisfaction (CSES), as most approaches are limited to post-interaction surveys that are rarely answered and often biased. Asa result, service providers cannot react quickly to service failures and dissatisfied customers. To address this challenge, we investigate the application of automated sentiment analysis methods as a proxy to measure CSES. Therefore, we first compare different sentiment analysis methods. Second, we investigate the relationship between objectively computed sentiment scores of dialogs and subjectively measured CSES values. Third, we evaluate whether this relationship also exists for utterance sequences throughout the dialog. The paper contributes by proposing and applying an automatic and objective approach to use sentiment scores as a proxy to measure CSES

Exploring Online Customer Experience Formation: How do Customers Explain Negative Emotions during Online Shopping Encounters?

We investigated online customer experience formation by using customers’ own explanations of their negative emotions during their online shopping encounters. Survey data from 1,786 Finnish online shoppers were used to identify customers who experienced strong negative emotions during online shopping encounters (N = 215) and the causes of their negative emotions were then analyzed in depth from their written descriptions. Our findings indicated that customers attributed most of their negative emotions to online store characteristics, including user interface, product and service range, pricing, and trustworthiness; however, some negative emotions were also attributable to factors outside of the online store’s control, including individual consumption habits and financial constraints, ecological issues, and family concerns. Our findings demonstrate the multidimensionality of customer experience and highlight the importance of better understanding the different factors that can influence the customer experience

EXPLORING POSITIVE ONLINE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FORMATION: A STUDY OF FOOD WASTE SHOPPERS

This qualitative study investigates the formation of positive online customer experiences in the context of online grocery shopping. This study analyzes customers’ written descriptions of the causes of their positive experiences when visiting an online store. Data were collected with an online survey of 581 respondents. The case company is a Finnish online retailer, Fiksuruoka Ltd. Fiksuruoka’s business idea is to sell food waste; its product range consists of surplus groceries that are in danger of being disposed of. The findings show that four main themes contribute positively to the online customer experience. Positive customer experiences were explained by factors related to 1) the shopping process and online store features, 2) shoppers’ finds, 3) pricing, and 4) the shopping context (food waste). Under these themes, 17 subthemes were identified. The findings emphasize the smoothness of the shopping process and low prices in a positive customer experience. It is also essential that the online store foster feelings of success, enjoyment, and self-satisfaction among customers. The joy of discovery and the ability to act for a good cause were identified as essential contributors to a positive online customer experience

‘I’m actually shocked of how rude you are!’ Communication challenges in webchat-based customer service

Computer-mediated webchat is fast replacing voice support in customer service. Whilst previous studies have explored how communication breaks down in customer service voice exchange in off-shored/outsourced multinational companies; studies into webchat exchange in the same industries are scarce. Given the high stakes of customer service interactions – for example customer satisfaction, return intention and loyalty to the company – there is an urgent need to understand how conversations unfold, in a linguistic sense, in successful and unsuccessful service. This study, using interactional linguistics, has used a close interpretative process to analyse instances of problematic exchange showing two key causes of communicative disruption. This first relates to disrupted turn adjacency where the sequence and flow of the exchange becomes confusing. The second relates to conceptual misunderstandings of terms in the exchange that may have multiple meanings. As workplaces invest millions of dollar in recruiting, training and appraising global webchat agents to serve their customers, the findings of this study can fruitfully inform webchat training and coaching that impact performance at work and provide high satisfaction to customers

Factors influencing the satisfaction of chat commerce usage experience in Thailand: A Covid necessitated e-business platform

It is an undoubted fact that Internet, and by extension, e-commerce on the Internet is here to stay. Merchants of all types, big and small, are aiming to find their niche in the e-commerce marketplace, and increase their revenue. Consumer preferences on online shopping and use of new technologies are continually shifting as well. Expansion of e-commerce offerings has significantly increased the number of users and trading volumes of online shopping, therefore highlighting the need to research online consumer purchasing behavior. In the meantime, COVID-19, which forced public lockdowns over the last 2 years, led the consumers to engage in alternative purchasing channels. One of those new channels that was successful due to the increased use of smartphone mobile apps technology is called “conversation commerce”, a.k.a., “chat commerce” or “c-commerce”. In this research, with the use of a web-based survey involving 227 respondents, we investigated into the factors influencing the satisfaction of chat commerce usage experience in Thailand, and focused on their views based on generational age differences among them. This research’s objectives were to answer the following 2 research questions: [1] What factors influence the satisfaction of chat commerce usage experience in Thailand?; [2]Do factors influencing the satisfaction of chat commerce usage experience vary among generational age differences? The 10 factors studied in this research, which may lead to the success of chat commerce in Thailand, were: [1] Service Rep’s Reliability; [2] Service Rep’s Assurance; [3] Service Rep’s Responsiveness; [4] Service Rep’s Empathy; [5] Perceived Information Quality; [6] Perceived Appropriate Wait Time; [7] Trust in the Platform; [8] Perceived Ease of Use; [9] Perceived Usefulness; [10] Satisfaction with the Experience. The 4 generations in this study were: [1] Baby Boomer; [2] Gen X; [3] Gen Y; [4] Gen Z. The results of this study indicate that all 10 proposed factors ultimately have positive influence on Satisfaction with chat commerce usage experience, and may lead to the success of chat commerce in Thailand, while the 2 most important factors being Assurance [ASS] and Perceived Usefulness [PUS]. This was true for ASS for 3 of the generations (Baby Boomer, Gen X, Gen Z), as well as for the entire dataset; and for PUS for 2 of the generations (Gen Y, Gen Z), as well as the entire dataset.

How live chat assistants drive travel consumers' attitudes, trust and purchase intentions : the role of human touch

Purpose: By adopting a social presence theory perspective, this study aims investigate the influence of perceived usefulness of live chat services and of their unique human attributes on customer attitudes, beliefs and behaviours in the context of online travel shopping. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a cross-sectional survey research involving 8 travel provider websites and 631 travel consumers, this work applies structural equation modelling to analyse the data. Findings: The results illustrate that the perceived usefulness from the communication with a human live chat assistant positively influences customer attitudes and trust towards the website as well as increasing purchase intention. The findings further illustrate the role of the human social cues conveyed by live chat facilities, namely, human warmth, human assurance, human attentiveness and human customised content in positively moderating this effect. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited to specific human attributes. Future research could investigate the role of other human characteristics as well as assess the ability of artificial intelligent powered chatbots in replicating the human elements outlined in this research. Originality/value: The study provides a unique contribution to the travel literature by offering empirical insights and conceptual clarity into the usefulness of human operated live chat communication on travellers’ attitudes, trust towards the website and purchase intentions