Title:	WHAT CONSTITUTES THE ‘ASSIST’ IN E-ASSISTANTS: THE CUSTOMER VIEWPOINT
Author(s):	Kathy Keeling , Susan Beatty , Peter Mcgoldrick
ISBN:	972-8924-06-2
Editors:	Nitya Karmakar and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2005
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Customers; relationships; e-assistant; e-commerce; communication.
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	142
Last Page:	149
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	Customer relationship building is difficult to achieve in online situations where interaction is limited to keyboard and mouse clicks. For online customers, the presence of an Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA) representing an ‘e-assistant’ on computer screens could engage users in interactions with greater resemblance to face-to-face communication. Through their life-like behaviours, customer interactions with e-assistants could be smoother and take on a more familiar style. However, research indicates several potential disadvantages concerning extra effort, distraction and difficulties with appropriate design. The literature so far has mostly concentrated on short-term, often experimental, interactions with ECAs. The longitudinal study of ‘naturalistic’ ECA use has received little attention. Since relationships are built over time, it seems important to study whether relationships do evolve and whether the reality lives up to the potential of e-assistants to affect purchasing behaviour. This paper reports on a qualitative study of respondent opinions, beliefs and emotions after several months of at least weekly use of one of three ECAs. We explore whether respondents desired the help or even the presence of ECAs and what advantages and disadvantages they perceive. We conclude that a) 40% of respondents reject ECA use in the present form and b) failing to match customer expectations of service quality or interaction style poses a significant challenge for the design and acceptance of ECAs on retail websites c) substantial investment in research and programming is needed to ensure interactions support user needs appropriately. There are also some ethical considerations posed by the use of ECAs. Nonetheless, with careful and better design, there is potential to differentiate retail websites and online services through customer recall and recognition of brand identity; providing a friendlier environment; facilitating alternative methods of information search; contributing to an error correction service; acting as a navigation aid and help through process; providing for stimulation needs; and contributing to emotional support for product decisions.
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