Enhancing Customer Service Chatbot Effectiveness: The Effect of Dyadic Communication Traits on Customer Purchase Intention

Chatbots have been pervasively applied in online retailing to communicate with customers. However, attracting and converting customers with chatbots remains a challenge, and little is known about whether and how chatbots’ communication traits influence customer purchase intention. In this study, we draw on the stereotype content model to identify warmth and competence as two distinct traits of chatbot communication. Then, we employ interpersonal attraction theory to pinpoint perceived attraction as the underlying mechanism, where customer-chatbot similarity of communication trait plays a contingent role in shaping perceived attraction. Through a mixed methods design, we found that customers perceive higher attraction toward chatbots with the communication trait of competence, facilitating customer purchase intention. When the similarity of dyadic communication traits exists, we also found that customers perceive higher attraction toward chatbots with warmth. Our findings contribute to the literature on chatbot anthropomorphism and customer behavior. The study also provides practical insights into chatbot design for online retailing.