The Effects of Two-Way Communication and Chat Service Usage on Consumer Attitudes in the E-Commerce Retailing Sector

摘要

In e-commerce retailing (e-retailing), where competitors are only one click away and prices are easy to compare, providing superior customer service and reciprocal communication via a company's website are important aspects of retaining customers. One increasingly popular solution to improve customer service is a "live chat" interface that allows consumers to have real-time conversations online with customer service agents. As the literature on the impacts of real-time communication via live chat is currently very limited, this study develops and tests a model that investigates the moderating effects of a chat service on the relationship between two-way communication (i.e., a core element of perceived website interactivity) and customer satisfaction, trust, repurchase and word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions. Specifically, the study aims at answering the following two research questions: l.To what extent do consumers' two-way communication perceptions on a website affect trust, satisfaction, repurchase intentions, and positive word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions in the e-commerce retailing sector? 2. Does the use of a chat service on a website strengthen the effects of two-way communication on trust, satisfaction, repurchase intention, and WOM?