Framing responsibility: Human and AI agent effects on apology effectiveness in service failures

Key Points

• Apology effectiveness significantly varies based on the framing of responsibility, influencing customer perceptions.
• AI agents show distinct patterns in apology effectiveness compared to human agents in service contexts.
• Analysis of service failure scenarios reveals that the type of agent responsible alters customer willingness to forgive.
• Findings suggest that context is crucial for understanding how responsibility frames impact customers' reactions.