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Mitigating Chatbot Service Failures: The Roles of Anthropomorphism, Acknowledgment, and Apology

Truvace record
TRV-2026-2651raw data (JSON)
Version
v1Published
First published
Evidence type
Controlled or validated comparison
Sources
1 sourcePeer-reviewed
sha256
3f32b6c7a774…check it

ABSTRACT This study examines how chatbot anthropomorphism shapes consumer responses to service failure by distinguishing between process failure and outcome failure and by testing alternative recovery responses. Across three pretests ( N = 30, 120 and 240) and two scenario‐based experiments (Study 1: N = 346; Study 2: N = 778), consumers evaluated interactions with high‐ versus low‐anthropomorphic chatbots in service settings. The findings show that chatbot anthropomorphism intensifies customer aggression under…

59Gain side

How the two sides scoreClose call

56Problem side

The gain

In two scenario experiments (346 and 778 consumers), an apology after a process failure reduced customer aggression more than acknowledging the chatbot's AI nature, especially for highly humanlike chatbots.

The problem

In two scenario-based experiments (346 and 778 consumers), highly humanlike chatbots intensified customer aggression after a process failure because they violated stronger expectations of polite, competent interaction.

A fixed formula sets both scores from the evidence and its sources. Reader votes don’t move them.

What the scores mean

G is the gain side, out of 100. It goes up when the gain is specific, when it measurably helped people and when the sources behind it are strong.

P is the problem side, out of 100. It goes up when the problem is specific, when it measurably hurt people and when the sources behind it are strong.

What this doesn’t fix

The findings come from scenario-based experiments in which consumers evaluated described or simulated interactions, not from observed real-world customer behaviour.

Sources

1 on file
  1. Journal of Consumer Behaviourdoi:10.1002/cb.70240
    Peer-reviewed2026-09-04

Cite this record

v1

Truvace Impact Record TRV-2026-2651, v1: “Mitigating Chatbot Service Failures: The Roles of Anthropomorphism, Acknowledgment, and Apology.” Truvace, 2026-11-12. /record/TRV-2026-2651 (accessed on the day you copy it). sha256 3f32b6c7a7747dc9…

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  1. Publishedv13f32b6c7a774…

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