Empathy in Chatbots : a Double-Edged Sword

Empathic chatbots: a double-edged sword in customer experiencesexamines whether an empathic tone improves customer satisfaction with chatbots. Three experiments (travel insurance, car rental, accommodation booking) show that empathy is associated with higher satisfaction, as it makes customers feel accompanied and better informed. However, this effect reverses under strong time pressure, when a reassuring tone becomes a distraction. The study shows that empathy is not a universal asset and should be adapted to the customer’s context.