Influence of the Use of Emojis by Chatbots on Interaction Satisfaction

Chatbots are widely used for online consumer service. However, how consumers react to chatbots using emojis in human-robot interaction is not fully examined. Through two experiments, this study investigated how and when using chatbot emojis in human-robot interaction affected consumer satisfaction. Study 1 showed that emojis significantly increased interaction satisfaction, which is mediated by intimacy. Study 2 showed that consumers with hedonic consumption goals were more satisfied in the emoji-present condition than those in the emoji-absent condition. However, such differences did not emerge among consumers with utilitarian goals. These findings deepen our understanding of how chatbots using emojis affect consumer response and provide insights into how to deploy chatbots with emojis in customer service.