The development of several AI solutions has revolutionized the way in which consumers behave. Serving as a guide to the role that AI plays on different aspects of consumers life, this book provides a comprehensive understanding of the main artificial intelligence (AI) solutions available in the market. In particular, the authors adopt a customer experience approach to investigate how different AI technologies play a role at different stages of the customer journey (e.g., from pre-purchase to post-purchase decisions).
Covering a range of technologies, such as augmented reality, voice assistants, chatbots and robots, readers will be able to learn which strategies and AI solutions are more effective at different stages of the customer journey.
Chapter
1. Introduction.-
1. A brief guide to artificial intelligence.-
2. Key artificial intelligence technologies along the customer journey.- 2.1.
AI-powered self-service technologies.- 2.2. Chatbots.- 2.3. Voice
assistants.- 2.4. Service robots.- 2.5. Augmented reality.- 2.6. Virtual
reality.-
3. A new framework for modelling artificial intelligence
technologies along the customer journey.- 3.1. Study design and procedure.-
3.2. Study results.-
4. A customer experience perspective on artificial
intelligence.-
5. Appendix.-
6. References.
Chapter
2. AI-powered
self-service technologies.-
1. Conventional vs. AI-powered SSTs: key
characteristics and differences.-
2. AI-based SSTs: the rise of checkout-free
and just walk out technologies.-
3. AI-powered self-service technologies
along the customer journey: current applications and potential for the
future.-
4. Conclusion.-
5. References.
Chapter
3. Chatbots.-
1. What are
chatbots and why they are important for customer experience.-
2. The drivers
of consumers cognitive, affective, and behavioural responses to chatbots.-
2.1 Consumers expectations and perceptions of chatbots.- 2.2. How to design
chatbots for successful customer experiences: the role of human-like
features.- 2.3 Disclosure of chatbot identity.-
3. The impact of chatbots on
the customer journey: what we know so far and directions for future
research.-
4. Conclusion.-
5. References.
Chapter
4. Voice Assistants.-
1.
Drivers of VAs adoption.-
2. Privacy concerns as a deterrent of VA
adoption.-
3. The impact of voice assistants on the customer journey.-
4.
Directions for future research.-
5. Conclusion.-
6. References.
Chapter
5.
Robots in Retail.-
1. Service robots and their main characteristics.-
2. When
and why do consumers prefer robots over human employees?.-
3. Collaboration
between robots and service employees.-
4. Service robots across the customer
journey.-
5. Service robots in the face of service failure.-
6. Directions
for futureresearch.-
7. Conclusion.-
8. References.
Chapter
6. Augmented
Reality.-
1. Augmented reality in advertising: the power of AR in the
pre-purchase stage.-
2. Augmented reality in retailing: virtual try-on
applications.-
3. Augmented reality in retailing: augmented environments and
product presentations.-
4. Directions for the future for augmented reality
across the customer journey: business opportunities and avenues for further
research.-
5. Conclusion.-
6. References.
Chapter
7. Virtual Reality and
the Customer Journey.-
1. The main dimensions of virtual reality.-
2. Virtual
reality experiences in the customer journey.-
3. Directions for future
research.-
4. Conclusion.-
5. References.
Chapter
8. Conclusions.-
1.
References.- Index.
Ada Maria Barone is a Senior Lecturer in Marketing at the Institute of Management Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London. Her main research interests lie at the intersection of marketing, sustainability, and consumer psychology, with a special focus on the understanding of the psychological mechanisms underlying consumers sustainable behaviours (e.g., disposal decisions, plant-based consumption). Another stream of research she is interested in is focused on the understanding of the antecedents of consumers and employees acceptance of artificial intelligence technologies.
Emanuela Stagno is a Lecturer in Marketing at the University of Sussex Business School. She conducts research in judgment, decision-making, and consumer behavior, with a particular emphasis on consumer decisions when dealing with financial and physical hardships and new technologies. One of her research streams focuses on understanding how and when hardship influences consumers attention, cognitive processes, and behavior. Another of her research streams explores how new technologies (i.e., smart surveillance technologies) influence citizens behavior and sociability.
