AI Customer Service: Task Complexity, Problem-solving Ability, and Usage Intention

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aut.relation.journalAustralasian Marketing Journal (AMJ)en_NZ
dark.contributor.authorXu, Yen_NZ
dark.contributor.authorShieh, C-Hen_NZ
dark.contributor.authorvan Esch, Pen_NZ
dark.contributor.authorLing, I-Len_NZ
dc.date.accessioned2020-07-06T00:26:37Z
dc.date.available2020-07-06T00:26:37Z
dc.date.copyright2020-05en_NZ
dc.date.issued2020-05en_NZ
dc.description.abstractArtificial intelligence (AI) in the context of customer service, we define as a technology-enabled system for evaluating real-time service scenarios using data collected from digital and/or physical sources in order to provide personalised recommendations, alternatives, and solutions to customers’ enquiries or problems, even very complex ones. We examined, in a banking services context, whether consumers preferred AI or Human online customer service applications using an experimental design across three field-based experiments. The results show that, in the case of low-complexity tasks, consumers considered the problem-solving ability of AI to be greater than that of human customer service and were more likely to use AI while, conversely, for high-complexity tasks, they viewed human customer service as superior and were more likely to use it than AI. Moreover, we found that perceived problem-solving ability mediated the effects of customers’ service usage intentions (i.e., their preference for AI vs. Human) with task complexity serving as a boundary condition. Here we discuss our research and the results and conclude by offering practical suggestions for banks seeking to reach customers and engage with them more effectively by leveraging the distinctive features of AI customer service.
dc.identifier.citationAustralasian Marketing Journal, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.03.005
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.ausmj.2020.03.005en_NZ
dc.identifier.issn1441-3582en_NZ
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/13501
dc.languageenen_NZ
dc.publisherElsevier BVen_NZ
dc.relation.urihttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1441358220300240
dc.rights© 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccessen_NZ
dc.subjectAI customer service; AI definition; Task complexity; Problem-solving ability; Usage intention
dc.titleAI Customer Service: Task Complexity, Problem-solving Ability, and Usage Intentionen_NZ
dc.typeJournal Article
pubs.elements-id375566
pubs.organisational-data/AUT
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Business, Economics & Law
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Business, Economics & Law/Marketing
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Business, Economics & Law/Marketing/Marketing PBRF 2012
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/Faculty of Business, Economics and Law
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF/PBRF Business Economics and Law
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF/PBRF Business Economics and Law/Faculty Review Team PBRF 2018
pubs.organisational-data/AUT/PBRF/PBRF Business Economics and Law/Marketing, Advertising, Retailing and Sales Department PBRF 2018
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