This paper analyzes the automation of customer relationships in e-commerce using chatbots, highlighting the conceptual, functional and economic differences between rule-based solutions and hybrid chatbots based on intent recognition. Starting from a case study in the field of food delivery, the paper examines how these technologies influence operational efficiency, user experience and business process control. The conclusions show that, for small and medium-sized enterprises, rule-based chatbots often represent the most cost-effective solution, while hybrid chatbots become economically justified in contexts characterized by high volume and high diversity of interactions.
Maria Cristina Enache (Wed,) studied this question.