International Conference on Economics, Finance & Business, Venice

LANGUAGE AS A SALES TOOL: CHATBOTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CUSTOMERS

FILIP KALAŠ, PAVOL LIPTÁK

Abstract:

This research focuses on examining the complex influence of business chatbot language on customers in the online environment, specifically addressing how language perception, including its anthropomorphic quality, affects trust and the relationship with the brand. We also explore the negative consequences of inappropriate chatbot communication, such as providing incorrect information, on customer purchasing behavior and loyalty, analyzing the mediating role of trust and perceived social presence. The study aims to determine which linguistic characteristics contribute to users perceiving chatbots as more "human" – in terms of grammar, vocabulary, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics – and how this perception influences their trust, which subsequently shapes their view of the brand. Simultaneously, we analyze whether and how negative experiences with chatbots, particularly in the context of providing incorrect information or displaying impolite behavior, affect customers' willingness to purchase and their long-term loyalty to the brand. To verify our assumptions about the relationships between chatbot language, trust, and customer behavior, we employ statistical methods such as correlation and regression, with an emphasis on identifying mediation effects. Additionally, we use ANOVA to explore potential differences in the perception of chatbot language among various customer groups. Our preliminary findings suggest that the perceived anthropomorphic quality of chatbot language has a significant impact on trust and brand perception, and that negative interactions can have detrimental effects on purchasing behavior, with loss of trust and diminished social presence playing a key role. We anticipate that the results of our analysis will provide a deeper understanding of the importance of strategic chatbot language design for building positive customer relationships in the online environment and for minimizing the negative impacts of communication failures.

Keywords: chatbot language, marketing, customer trust, brand reception, purchasing behaviour