Online Customer Support Research Articles

Student's Priorities When Selecting Web Conferencing Tools in Sri Lankan Tertiary Education

A properly selected web conferencing tool can significantly enhance student engagement, motivation, and learning outcomes in online education. Hence, this study aims to produce a framework ordering the key features and associated sub-factors of web conferencing tools that Sri Lankan tertiary sector students prioritize for their online learning experience. A quantitative research method is deployed to get the student's opinions on the factors discovered in a previous study on “Expert opinion on selecting a web conferencing tool for synchronous online tertiary education in Sri Lanka”. The research hypothesis was tested using the Pearson Chi-square test, followed by exploratory and second-order factor analysis to rank the importance of sub-factors and main characteristics. The findings revealed that students prioritize collaboration features the most, followed by online event features, pricing, user-friendliness, customer support, security, online evaluation, performance, and screen-sharing. This framework offers valuable insights for Sri Lankan tertiary institutions to select web conferencing tools that truly align with student preferences. By incorporating these student-centric considerations, institutions can optimize the online learning experience, leading to improved engagement, learning outcomes, and ultimately, greater student satisfaction.

Avatars’ impacts in retail: a study within regulatory engagement theory

PurposeThis study aims to test the impact of avatars on consumer psychological states, engagement, and purchase intention in the online retail environment with reference to the Regulatory Engagement Theory.Design/methodology/approachOne-factor between-subject experimental design was used to test research hypotheses. Two versions of an experimental merchant website have been designed for the purpose of the study: with and without the avatar. Participants were randomly assigned to experimental conditions and responded to an online questionnaire displayed during the visit. SEM analyses with AMOS 24 and SPSS Macro Conditional Process Analysis for bootstrapping were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results confirm the avatar’s positive impact on perceived enjoyment and immersion, both positively affect consumer engagement and purchase intention. The mediating role of psychological states in the impact of avatars on consumer engagement is also confirmed.Originality/valueThis study advances the interactive marketing literature by focusing on avatars as an emerging interactive technology in the virtual retail context. Unlike previous studies on virtual agents, which primarily focused on their utilitarian role in online customer support, this study investigates how avatars influence consumers' psychological states, engagement, and purchase intention.

Variational mode decomposition based acoustic and entropy features for speech emotion recognition

Automated speech emotion recognition (SER) is a machine-based method for identifying emotion from speech signals. SER has many practical applications, including improving man-machine interaction (MMI), online customer support, healthcare services, online marketing, etc. Because of the wide range of applications, the popularity of SER has been increasing among researchers for three decades. Numerous studies employed various combinations of features and classifiers to improve emotion classification performance. In our study, we tried to achieve the same by using variational mode decomposition (VMD)-based features. We extracted features like MFCC, mel-spectrogram, approximate entropy (ApEn), and permutation entropy (PrEn) from each VMD mode. The performance of emotion classification is evaluated using the deep neural network (DNN) classifier and the proposed VMD-based features individually (MFCC, mel-spectrogram, ApEn, and PrEn) and in combination (MFCC + mel-spectrogram + ApEn + PrEn). We used two datasets, RAVDESS and EMO-DB, to evaluate the emotion classification performance and obtained a classification accuracy of 91.59% and 80.83% for the EMO-DB and RAVDESS datasets, respectively. Our experimental results were compared with the other methods, and we found that the proposed VMD-based feature combinations with a DNN classifier performed better than the state-of-the-art works in SER.

Impacto da qualidade de textos de partida criados por utilizadores e agentes e a propagação de erros em sistemas de Tradução Automática

This paper proposes a typology concerning errors and linguistic structures found in the source text that have an impact on Machine Translation (MT). The main objectives of this project were firstly, to make a comparison between error typologies and analyze them according to their suitability; analyze annotated data and build a data-driven typology while adapting the previous existing typologies; make a distinction between the errors produced by users and agents in the online Customer Support domain; test the proposed typology with three case studies; methodize patterns in the errors found and verify their impact in MT systems; finally, create a typology ready for production for its particular field. At first, it was made a comparison between different typologies, whether they consider a bilingual or monolingual level (e.g. Unbabel Error Typology, MQM Typology (Lommel et al., 2014b) and SCATE MT Error Taxonomy (Tezcan et al., 2017). This comparison allowed us to verify the differences and similarities between them and, also, which issue types have been previously used. In order to build a data-driven typology, both sides of Customer Support were analyzed — user and agent — as they present different writing structures and are influenced by different factors. The results of that analysis were assessed through the annotation process with a bilingual error typology and were calculated with one of the most highly used manual evaluation metrics in translation quality evaluation — Multidimensional Quality Metrics (MQM), proposed in the QTLaunchPad project (2014), funded by the European Union. Through this analysis, it was then possible to build a data-driven typology — Source Typology. In order to aid future annotators of this typology, we provided guidelines concerning the annotation process and elaborate on the new additions of the typology. In the interest of confirming the reliability of this typology, three case studies were conducted in an internal pilot, with a total of 26,855 words, 2802 errors and 239 linguistic structures (represented in the ‘Neutral’ severity — associated with conversational markers, segmentation, emoticons, etc., characteristics of oral speech) annotated, with different purposes and taking into account several language pairs. In these studies, we verified the effectiveness of the new additions, as well as the transfer of source text errors to the target text. Besides that, it was also analyzed whether the linguistic structures annotated with the ‘Neutral’ severity had in fact any impact on the MT systems. This testing allowed us to confirm the effectiveness and reliability of the Source Typology, including what needs improvement.

Online service failure: antecedents, moderators and consequences

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to present a systematic review of the online service failure (OSF) literature and conduct an exhaustive analysis of academic research on this emerging research area.Design/methodology/approachThe current study has adopted a structured systematic literature review approach to synthesize and assess the OSF literature. Further, the study uses the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methodology (TCCM) framework to propose future research directions in the OSF domain.FindingsThis systematic review shows that OSF research is still developing and remains mainly incoherent. Further, the study develops a conceptual framework integrating the frequently reported antecedents, mediators, moderator and consequences in the extant literature. This review also synthesizes the theoretical perspectives adopted for this domain.Research limitations/implicationsThe study followed specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to shortlist articles. Further, articles published only in the English language were considered. Hence, the findings of this review cannot be generalized to all OSF literature.Practical implicationsThis systematic review has classified antecedents into customers' and service providers' roles which will enable online service providers to understand all sets of factors driving OSF. It also synthesizes and presents service recovery strategies and emphasizes the role of online customer support to fix OSF.Originality/valueThe OSF literature is still developing and remains highly incoherent, suggesting that a synthesized review is needed. This study has systematically reviewed and synthesized the OSF literature to study its development over time and proposes a framework which provides a comprehensive understanding of OSF.

How chatbots' social presence communication enhances consumer engagement: the mediating role of parasocial interaction and dialogue

PurposeThis study presents one of the earliest empirical investigations on how brand chatbots' anthropomorphic design and social presence communication strategies may improve consumer evaluation outcomes via the mediators of parasocial interaction and perceived dialogue.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a 2 (high vs. low social presence communication) by 2 (anthropomorphic vs. non-anthropomorphic bot profile) between-subject experimental design to evaluate how chatbots' high social presence communication and anthropomorphic profile design may enhance perceptions of parasocial interactions and dialogue with the chatbot, which in turn drive user engagement, interaction satisfaction and attitude toward the represented brand.FindingsThe influences of chatbots' high social presence communication on consumer engagement outcomes are mediated by perceived parasocial interaction and dialogue. Additionally, chatbots' anthropomorphic profile design can boost the positive effects of social presence communication via the psychological mediators.Originality/valueThis study advances the interactive marketing literature by focusing on an emerging interactive technology, chatbots. Additionally, distinct from prior chatbot studies that focused on the utilitarian use of chatbots for online customer support, this study not only examines which factors of chatbot communication and profile design may drive chatbot effectiveness but also examines the mechanism underlying the messaging and design effects on consumer engagement. The findings highlight the mediating role of interpersonal factors of parasocial interaction and perceived dialogue.

Determinates of Live Support Chat in Organizational Intranets

Live support chat (LSC) is a relatively new type of online customer support that is growing significantly in e-commerce websites. LSC bypasses the traditional types of customer support like phone, e-mail and web forms and it provides instant answers to customers' questions and concerns. Few researchers have empirically examined the factors affecting LSC at the individual level, however there is no evidence of research that explored the determinates of LSC in an organizational context and how it affects employees. This study attempts to fill this research gap by empirically examining the factors that affect LSC in the context of the organizational Intranets. Survey data from 389 employees at private and public organizations in Kuwait were collected to test the study hypotheses. The study findings have important implications at both the theoretical and practice levels.

Chat now… Examining the variables influencing the use of online live chat

This paper advances our theoretical understanding of online service delivery with regard to live chat technology. Online customer support via live chat offers customers a way in which they can interact with service personnel in the online environment. Through the use of an online questionnaire and conducting structural equation modelling, the aim of this research is to understand the variables directly influencing the use of a live chat function with a customer service representative during use of a website. The findings outline eight variables that motivate the use of live chat, accounting for 71% explained variance. The research illustrates the variables influencing such use is dependent on the context for initiating the chat discussion, namely for search/navigation support or decision support. This paper offers key managerial implications, highlighting the importance of offering customers a live chat function and why website users are motivated to use live chat. The paper illustrates the role of online live chat as a service recovery tool and a service feedback tool.

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.

Investigating the online customer experience – a B2B perspective

PurposeThis paper explores the online customer experience (OCE) within business-to-business (B2B) websites. The purpose of this paper is to understand the influence of website credibility and information quality on the OCE during search for information and services. In addition, this paper acknowledges the role of customer support within the offline environment and thus explores the potential role of online customer support during a customer’s online experience.Design/methodology/approachAn online experiment was conducted with 195 participants along with an associated questionnaire for data capture. Three tasks were developed for participants which they had to complete on three different business advisory websites. The online experiment gave all participants the experience of using a business advisory website. In order to analyse the hypothesised relationships, structural equation modelling was used.FindingsThe results outlined that the credibility of the website and the quality of the information on the website have a significant effect on the OCE in a B2B context. The research highlights the need for online customer support with a service representative during search on a B2B website. The credibility of the website as well as the success of the search drives the need for online customer support. The lack of online customer support will result in customers becoming dissatisfied with their experience if they have an unsuccessful search.Practical implicationsManagers of B2B websites should acknowledge the importance of website credibility cues and information quality cues. Each of these variables drive the success of a customer’s search and in turn the customer’s impression of the experience. Additionally, managers ought to provide customers online support, through functions such as an online help desk or a live chat function, as those who have an unsuccessful search expect to be able to seek online support from a company representative, the same way as they would do in the offline environment. Online customer support can act as a service recovery tool for website providers.Originality/valueEmpirical research on the OCE within B2B websites is limited and somewhat out-dated. Due to technological advancements and changing customer expectations, this research has filled a knowledge gap on the OCE in a B2B perspective. Website credibility and information quality have been overlooked in previous research in relation to the OCE. In addition, this study outlines the need for online customer support resulting from the need to clarify information and the success of the search.

Is a Core-Periphery Network Good for Knowledge Sharing? A Structural Model of Endogenous Network Formation on a Crowdsourced Customer Support Forum

Many companies have adopted technology driven social learning platforms such as social customer relationship management (crowdsourcing customer support) to support knowledge sharing among customers. A number of these self-evolving, online customer support communities have reported the emergence of a core- periphery knowledge sharing network structure. In this study, we investigate why such a structure emerges and its implications for knowledge sharing within the community. We propose a dynamic structural model with endogenized knowledge-sharing and network formation. Our model recognizes the dynamic and interdependent nature of knowledge seeking and sharing decisions and allows them to be driven by knowledge increments and social status building in anticipation of future reciprocal rewards from peers. Applying this model to a fine grained panel dataset from a social customer support forum for a telecom firm, we illustrate that a user in this community gains value from being linked to other individuals with higher social status. As a result, a user is more inclined to answer the questions of those who are in the core (well connected) than questions from those who are in the periphery (not well connected). We find that users are taking into account the expected likelihood of their questions receiving a solution before asking a question. With the emergence of a core-periphery network structure, peripheral individuals are discouraged from asking questions as their expectation of receiving a solution to their question is very low. Thus, the core-periphery structure has created a barrier to knowledge flow to new customers who need the knowledge the most. Our counterfactuals show that hiding the identity of the knowledge seeker or making the individual contributions obsolete faster helps break the core-periphery structure and improves knowledge sharing in the community.

Evolving the online customer experience … is there a role for online customer support?

This paper advances our theoretical understanding with regard to the online customer experience in a utilitarian context. The aim of this research is to understand if there is a need for online customer support during search for information and services on business support websites. In contrast to previous studies highlighting time distortion as part of the optimal customer experience, the findings of this research illustrate that customers are time conscious during a utilitarian search with the perceived length of time spent on the website influencing the customer experience. Additionally, the perceived length of time spent on the website influences the need to seek online customer support. The outcomes of customers requiring online customer support in relation to the customer experience have been established. The findings provide key managerial implications for economic development agencies and online business support providers on the requirement of online customer support and insight into the time conscious nature of customers in relation to the online customer experience.

Artificial Neural Networks and Gene Expression Programing based age estimation using facial features

This work is about estimating human age automatically through analysis of facial images. It has got a lot of real-world applications. Due to prompt advances in the fields of machine vision, facial image processing, and computer graphics, automatic age estimation via faces in computer is one of the dominant topics these days. This is due to widespread real-world applications, in areas of biometrics, security, surveillance, control, forensic art, entertainment, online customer management and support, along with cosmetology. As it is difficult to estimate the exact age, this system is to estimate a certain range of ages. Four sets of classifications have been used to differentiate a person’s data into one of the different age groups. The uniqueness about this study is the usage of two technologies i.e., Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) and Gene Expression Programing (GEP) to estimate the age and then compare the results. New methodologies like Gene Expression Programing (GEP) have been explored here and significant results were found. The dataset has been developed to provide more efficient results by superior preprocessing methods. This proposed approach has been developed, tested and trained using both the methods. A public data set was used to test the system, FG-NET. The quality of the proposed system for age estimation using facial features is shown by broad experiments on the available database of FG-NET.

Is Core-Periphery Network Good for Knowledge Sharing? A Structural Model of Endogenous Network Formation on a Crowdsourced Customer Support Forum

Many companies have adopted technology driven social learning platforms such as social CRM (crowdsourcing customer support from customers) to support knowledge sharing among customers. A number of these self-evolving online customer support communities have reported the emergence of a core-periphery knowledge sharing network structure. In this study, we investigate why such a structure emerges and its implications for knowledge sharing within the community. We propose a dynamic structural model with endogenized knowledge-sharing and network formation. Our model recognizes the dynamic and interdependent nature of knowledge-seeking-and-sharing decisions and allows them to be driven by knowledge increments and social status building in anticipation of future reciprocal rewards from peers. Applying this model to a fine grained panel data set from a social customer support forum for a telecom firm, we illustrate that a user in this community values being connected to other well connected individuals. As a result, a user is more inclined to answer questions of those who are in the core (well connected) than the ones who are in the periphery (not well connected). We find that users are taking into account the expected likelihood of their questions receiving a solution before asking a question. With the emergence of core-periphery network structure, the peripheral individuals are discouraged from asking questions as their expectation of receiving a solution to their question is very low. Thus, the core-periphery structure has created a barrier to knowledge flow to new customers who need the knowledge the most. Our counterfactuals show that hiding the identity of the knowledge seeker or making the individual contributions obsolete faster helps break the core-periphery structure and improves knowledge sharing in the community.

EWOM in online customer support communities: Key variables in information quality and source credibility

While an increasing body of research has examined the influence of eWOM on sales and consumer behaviour, little research has focused on the key dimensions of information quality and source credibility in online customer support communities. The purpose of this paper is to provide a qualitative insight into the information quality dimensions and the perceived credibility of the source of information in online customer support communities. Netnography was applied to gain insight into the phenomenon by using a rich dataset from the Dell online customer support community. Results highlight widespread distrust held by posters on Dell’s community forums of the intentions of other members, despite the information itself generally being regarded as relevant and comprehensive. Moreover, relevance and comprehensiveness are the most important dimensions of information quality in online customer support settings as they favour consumers’ motivation to share information, be it positive or negative.

How Shopping Frequency And Product Type Affect Consumers Perceptions Of E-Tailing Quality

We survey a national sample of US online consumers about their perceptions regarding the quality of online shopping experiences. Our intent is to examine whether the frequency with which they purchase products online and the types of products they purchase affect their perceptions of internet retailer quality. In this study, the quality of online shopping is measured using a set of items that represent the four phases encountered when shopping via the Internet: (1) the retailer’s homepage, (2) online product catalog, (3) order form and (4) customer service and support. Factor analysis of these items uncovers the following seven underlying e-tailing quality dimensions: reliability, accessibility, ordering services, convenience, product content, assurance and credibility. We find that frequent online shoppers consider both reliability and product content significantly more important than infrequent online shoppers; ordering services is significantly more important to infrequent online shoppers. With regard to product type, we find some significant differences between online shoppers who purchase “search” versus “experience” products. Specifically, those who purchase experience products online rate ordering services and product content significantly more important than those who buy search products.

How intimate are Australian e‐business retail supply chains?

The adoption of electronic commerce strategies is becoming an important means of assisting industries, and indeed whole economies, to gain significant net benefits. The extent to which e‐commerce‐based strategies, such as quick response and efficient consumer response, might have an effect on local economies depends in part on how readily they are being adopted. The dominant form of adoption of these strategies is to be found in the business‐to‐business forms of e‐commerce. To be successful, business partners must be in a position to develop customer intimacy through sharing of information, to improve their stock replenishment practices, and enhance their levels of online customer support. This paper presents the initial results of a national survey completed in the retail sector of the Australian economy, that assesses how well Australian industry is responding to these e‐commerce challenges.