Navigating Human-Chatbot Interactions: An Investigation into Factors Influencing User Satisfaction and Engagement

Abstract

With the increasing integration of chatbots in various customer service contexts, understanding factors that influence user interactions is of paramount importance. While chatbots bring several benefits, their efficacy largely depends on user satisfaction, loyalty, and perceived utility. This study explores the nuances of consumer interactions with chatbot services and identifies ways to enhance these interactions for successful goal achievement. Through a multiple qualitative method approach, involving reflections, interviews, and focus groups, conducted an exhaustive investigation of the consumer experiences with chatbot interactions. The study focused on elements such as anthropomorphism, communication styles, service scripts, consumer emotions, and privacy and trust concerns. Our findings highlight that the anthropomorphism and communication style of chatbots significantly affect user satisfaction. The perceived utility of chatbots was found to be a multifaceted construct that substantially influences consumer engagement. Furthermore, this study identified negative emotions and privacy concerns as key determinants of consumer-chatbot interactions. These findings necessitate meticulous attention in chatbot design and function. By using the affordance theory, this research offers insights into managing the complex dynamics of satisfaction and dissatisfaction factors within consumer-chatbot engagements, contributing crucially to the human-computer interaction literature.