CUSTOMER PERCEPTIONS AND PREFERENCES: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CHATBOTS AND HUMAN SUPPORT IN E-COMMERCE CUSTOMER SERVICE

The rapid growth of e-commerce has significantly changed the retail landscape, prompting businesses to prioritize customer service improvement. To achieve this, organizations are increasingly using technology, particularly artificial intelligence. One of the most prominent advancements in this sphere is the extensive adoption of chatbots alongside human support to assist customers. While both chatbots and human agents offer diverse advantages and face unique challenges, this study aims to explore customer preferences when seeking assistance in e-commerce. The study focuses on understanding how customers perceive the effectiveness of chatbots and human support in resolving their queries. It also intends to measure customer satisfaction levels based on their experiences with both chatbots and human agents and identifying key areas for improvement to enhance customer interactions and service quality. In order to analyse these aspects, both primary and secondary data were collected. A total of 155 responses were gathered through an e-survey using the Convenience Sampling technique. The findings highlight the necessity for businesses to strike a balance between automation and human intervention. While chatbots provide efficiency and instant responses, human support remains crucial for handling complex issues and personalized interactions. To enhance customer experience, businesses must focus on improving chatbot accuracy, reliability, and personalization while ensuring seamless collaboration between AI-driven solutions and human agents.