Original scientific paper
COMPARISON OF AI AND HUMAN AGENT INTERACTION IN PURCHASING DECISION-MAKING PROCESS – PERCEPTION OF CROATIAN CUSTOMERS
Magdalena Kuštelega
orcid.org/0009-0006-0381-8125
; Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Varaždin, Croatia
Larisa Hrustek
; Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Varaždin, Croatia
Iva Gregurec
orcid.org/0000-0002-2429-0335
; Faculty of Organization and Informatics, University of Zagreb, Varaždin, Croatia
Abstract
Interaction with customers in the purchasing decision-making process has been modernized with the development of digital technologies. In traditional environment, the service providers played a key role in interacting with the customer. Still in the digital age, this role is increasingly being taken over by a virtual assistant (chatbot), a service provider based on artificial intelligence. Customers' opinions vary and depend on the content of the message they expect when interacting with the service provider and today this interaction can take place through contact with a physical person (human agent) and/or a chatbot.
Desk research was conducted in order to collect secondary data needed for the creation of a theoretical overview of customer perception through interaction in the purchasing decision-making process, and a conceptual research model was defined based on this. To collect primary data, quantitative descriptive research was conducted to gain insight into customer perception resulting from the interaction between the human agent and the chatbot. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) method is used to compare the dependent variable (customer perception) between the two types of service agents, considering the independent variables.
The contribution of this research is the identification of weaknesses arising from the interaction in the purchasing decision-making process, considering the two mentioned types of service providers separately. Based on the identified weaknesses, interpreted through independent variables, recommendations will be provided to improve the interaction with customers in both cases.
Keywords
service provider; human agent interaction; chatbot; purchasing decision-making process; customer perception; customer satisfaction
Hrčak ID:
328989
URI
Publication date:
6.3.2025.
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