Airline chatbot: examining the response of outcome- and process-focused individuals for customer service requests
Bobbie Rathjens, Lu Zhang, JaeMin Cha · Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology · 2025
Purpose This study aims to explore customer reactions to using chatbots in the airline industry and to understand the psychological factors influencing their preferences. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 assesses attitudes toward human versus chatbot service agents in customer service interactions with social presence theory as the theoretical foundation to corroborate prior research, whereas Study 2 applies motivated action theory to analyze the impact of an individual’s goal orientation traits (process and outcome) related to chatbot acceptance. Findings Results indicate that individuals with outcome-focused personality traits show a preference for human agents when addressing customer service issues, suggesting that psychological factors significantly impact technology acceptance. Originality/value This research contributes new insights into the understudied area of psychological predispositions affecting chatbot acceptance in service scenarios within the airline industry.