Empathic accuracy in artificial intelligence service recovery
Abstract
Purpose
Artificial intelligence (AI) agents have been increasingly applied in the tourism and hospitality industry. However, AI service failure is inevitable. Thus, AI service recovery merits empirical investigation. This study aims to explore how AI empathic accuracy affects customers’ satisfaction in the context of AI service recovery.
Design/methodology/approach
A moderated mediation model was presented to describe the effect of empathic accuracy on customer satisfaction via four scenario-based experiments.
Findings
The results reveal the positive impact of AI empathic accuracy on customer satisfaction and the mediating effects of perceived agency and perceived experience. Moreover, anthropomorphism moderates the empathic accuracy effect.
Originality/value
This paper expanded AI service studies by exploring the significance of empathic accuracy in customer recovery satisfaction. The results provide a novel theoretical viewpoint on retaining customers following AI service failure.
目的
人工智能（AI）设备已越来越多地应用于旅游业和酒店业。然而, AI服务失败是不可避免的。因此, AI服务补救值得进一步实证研究。本研究探讨了AI共情准确性如何影响顾客对AI服务补救的满意度。
设计/方法/途径
通过四个基于场景的实验, 提出了一个有调节的中介模型来描述共情准确性对顾客满意度的影响。
研究结果
结果揭示了AI共情准确性对顾客满意度有积极影响, 感知能动性和感知感受性具有中介效应。此外, 拟人化调节了共情准确性的效应。
独创性
本文通过探讨共情准确性在顾客服务补救满意度中的作用, 拓展了AI服务研究。研究结果为AI服务失败后如何留住顾客提供了新的理论视角。
Propósito
Las agentes de inteligencia artificial (IA) se aplican cada vez más en el sector del turismo y la hostelería. Sin embargo, los fallos de los servicios de IA son inevitables. Por lo tanto, la recuperación de servicios de IA merece una investigación empírica. Esta investigación explora cómo la precisión empática de la IA afecta a la satisfacción de los clientes con la recuperación del servicio de IA.
Diseño/Metodología/Enfoque
Se presentó un modelo de mediación moderado para describir el efecto de la precisión empática en la satisfacción del cliente mediante cuatro experimentos basados en escenarios.
Hallazgos
Los resultados revelan el impacto positivo de la precisión empática de la IA en la satisfacción del cliente y los efectos mediadores de la agencia percibida y la experiencia percibida. Además, el antropomorfismo modera el efecto de la precisión empática.
Originalidad
Este artículo amplía los estudios sobre los servicios de IA al investigar el papel de la precisión empática en la satisfacción del cliente. Los resultados aportan un punto de vista teórico novedoso sobre la retención de clientes tras el fallo de un servicio de IA.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This work was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (72262012 and 71962006), the Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (722RC633 and 723MS024), and the Hainan Provincial Philosophy and Social Science Project (Hainan Provincial All-for-one Tourism Research Base) (HNSK(JD)23-13).
Credit author statement.
The first author is Xing’an Xu. His contribution is shown in leading the entire study, proposing model, selecting variables, designing the methodology and revising the manuscript. Xing’an Xu also contributed to conception or design of the work, critical revision of the article and final approval of the version to be published.
The second author is Najuan Wen who is a doctoral student. Her contribution is shown in proposing model, designing questionnaire, surveying, composing the first manuscript and revising the manuscript according to other authors’ suggestions. Najuan Wen also contributed to data collection, data analysis and interpretation, drafting the article, critical revision of the article and final approval of the version to be published.
The third author is Juan Liu who is a doctoral student. Her contribution is shown in reviewing, editing, supervising, polishing and offering more suggestions. Juan Liu also contributed to critical revision of the article and final approval of the version to be published.
Citation
Xu, X., Wen, N. and Liu, J. (2023), "Empathic accuracy in artificial intelligence service recovery", Tourism Review, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/TR-06-2023-0394
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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