Marketing

World Wide Web

Philosophy

Service (business)

Chatbot

Service provider

Public relations

Computer science

Business

Interactivity

Dilemma

Political science

Epistemology

Sociology

Knowledge management

Agency (philosophy)

Social science

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services

AI-chatbots as frontline agents promise innovative opportunities for shaping service offerings that benefit customers and retailers. Examining current practice through the lens of agency, as defined by Social Cognitive Theory, we present a 3-level classification of AI-chatbot design (anthropomorphic role, appearance and interactivity) and examine how the combination of these three aspects of chatbot design impacts on the complementarities of agency. Recognizing current implementation challenges, we advance that the complementarities of agency at each level are the lynchpin mechanism that translates AI-chatbot design into service relevant outcomes. We develop a research agenda focused on the emotion interface, resolution of the proxy agency dilemma and development of collective agency to support the implementation of AI-chatbots as frontline service agents.

AI-chatbots on the services frontline addressing the challenges and opportunities of agency