The role of AI-driven chatbots in enhancing sustainable customer service: a survey-based study on consumer perceptions

Abstract This study aims to investigate the key factors influencing the adoption of AI chatbot applications to promote sustainable brand perception. This study examines how customer experience mediates and chatbot usage frequency moderates the relationship between perceived usefulness, interactivity, eco-friendliness, and perceptions of sustainable brands, based on Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT). A quantitative research was performed with tech-savvy consumers in India, yielding 487 usable responses. The data was analyzed via Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to assess the direct, mediating, and moderating effects between the constructs as proposed. The findings reveal that perceived usefulness, interactivity, and eco-friendliness positively impact customer experiences and heighten perceptions of a sustainable brand. Customer experience plays an important role in the perception of a sustainable brand, while the frequency of chatbot use mitigates the influence of eco-friendliness on customer experience. The Importance Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) pinpoints important areas for strategic focus. This study uses UGT in addressing sustainability and AI chatbots and expands new knowledge around user motivations towards use of a technology and perceptions towards eco-friendly brands.