Carolina Martínez-Troncoso, PUC
Abstract: This research examines when and how consumers accept chatbots in complaint-handling contexts and how specific design attributes influence that acceptance. Across four studies, the paper analyzes preferences for chatbot versus human agents and evaluates chatbot characteristics such as response speed, autonomy, and escalation to human support. The findings show that consumers generally prefer human agents for complaint resolution, even when a chatbot successfully resolves the problem. Faster responses increase chatbot acceptance, and early, user-initiated transfers to human agents are preferred over delayed transfers or those triggered by frustration. The study contributes to justice and coping theories and provides guidance for designing fair and effective hybrid customer-service systems.
