The dark side of customer engagement in AI-driven interactions: The case of chatbots in the tourism industry

Abstract

Given the increase of human-chatbot interactions in the tourism industry, as well as the gap in the existing literature on the impact of such interactions on customer engagement, there is an urgent need for brands and researchers to further investigate this phenomenon.

This thesis investigates the effect of negative chatbot interactions in the tourism industry on customer engagement with a focal brand. Through a qualitative study consisting of semi-structured interviews with 19 participants, this research identifies the drivers of negative consumer engagement and analyses the resulting affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions.

There are five identified causes of negative engagement: interactions with monopolistic firms, non-confirmation of promised services, perceived injustice, chatbots unsatisfaction, and negative contextual experiences. The negative outcomes include frustration and anger for the affective engagement, a lack of intention to interact with the brand and a perceived lack of trust for the cognitive engagement, and negative word-of-mouth as well as complaining for the behavioral engagement. Some forms of disengagement were also observed among the participants. The findings emphasize the need for businesses to resolve issues associated with chatbot interactions to increase customer engagement and mitigate negative effects. By understanding the causes and results of negative interactions, brands can improve customer experiences and foster positive engagement. Accordingly, managerial and theoretical implications are suggested along with recommendations for future research.