Who are you talking to? How chatbot identity disclosure affects service satisfaction

Abstract

ABSTRACT Chatbots are increasingly able to talk as humans. Disclosing the identity of chatbots can negatively impact the user trust, but withholding is considered illegal. Disclosing is an inevitable trend, and it is crucial to study different disclosure types. However, most research focuses on comparing disclosure versus non-disclosure. This article investigates the impact of interaction between disclosing and service contact types on service satisfaction. Specifically, pre-dialogue (vs. post-dialogue) disclosure appears more satisfying for high-contact services, whereas post-dialogue disclosure is better suited to low-contact services. Trust is the mediating mechanism of these effects. These findings can help service providers devise marketing strategies.