AI socialize with you – Conversational AI in Service Encounters
(A2025-126196)

AUTHORS

Tatjana Heiser, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz; Frank Huber, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

ABSTRACT

Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly prevalent in customer service, yet psychological factors shaping consumer behavior remain largely unexplored. In this regard, the study sheds light on how conversational AI affects trust, customer satisfaction and reuse intention. Further, the study investigates the impact of social-oriented conversational AI on empathy, trust, rapport, and information disclosure. Findings from three studies reveal that voice-based AI generates higher perceptions of trust compared to text-based conversational AI, thus enhancing customer satisfaction and reuse intention. Moreover, social-oriented conversational AI leads to higher perceptions of empathy, which increases rapport and trust, leading to information disclosure. By highlighting the importance of trust and empathy in AI-driven communication, the study contributes to the recent body of research and offers valuable insights for companies to optimize customer service interactions.