Drivers and outcomes of chatbot use in the business-to-business context: exploring business customers’ perspectives

Purpose Although chatbots are increasingly popular in the B2C literature, understanding of their use in a B2B perspective remains limited. The present study utilizes Uses and Gratification theory to explore what motivates business customers to use chatbots and how this use can affect professional relationships. This study aims to explore what motivates business customers to use chatbots and how this use can affect professional relationships. By utilizing Uses and gratifications theory, it seeks to deepen the currently limited understanding of the B2B perspective. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts an exploratory qualitative inquiry in the form of in-depth interviews with experts and business customers who had actual experience of using bots on their customer journey. Findings The study offers a much-needed examination of B2B customers’ perspectives about chatbots and proposes a model of the drivers and outcomes of chatbot use on the customer journey. Utilitarian and social motives are suggested to drive business customers to use chatbots, while the need to examine specific contingency factors to help determine a preference for chatbots is emphasized. Chatbots are shown to generate customer satisfaction with the firm and commitment to it, which adds to professional relationships. Practical implications Organizations relying on chatbots for customer interaction in B2B can use these results to build and maintain successful bots able to satisfy their customers’ needs and further contribute to building professional relationships. Originality/value The study identifies motives that explain why chatbots appeal to business customers, along with contingency factors that may further help distinguish their preference for technology vs. human interaction. It also suggests that chatbots can assist in building relationships between business customers and a selling firm.