Voice bots are not text chatbots: what research on voice-first customer service shows
Most conversational-agent research studies text chatbots. Dayan (2026, JTAER, Scopus Q1) argues that the voice-first encounter works differently and tests that argument on 295 AI voice bot users.
Dayan, O. (2026). One voice, one impression: Why customers perceive the service quality of AI voice bots holistically and what it means for electronic commerce. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 21(10), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer21100363
In brief
AI voice bots are now a standard channel for post-purchase service in electronic commerce, while conversational-agent research has centered on text chatbots. Dayan (2026) argues that a voice encounter is one continuous spoken dialogue without a visual interface, so customers respond to the agent as a single social actor, drawing on social responses to computers (Nass & Moon, 2000). The survey results support a unified perception of the voice agent.
Why voice is a different setting
Conversational-agent research has centered on text chatbots. A voice-first encounter is a continuous spoken dialogue without a visual interface. Dayan (2026) argues that in this setting customers respond to the agent as one social actor.
The theoretical lens
The study builds on information systems success theory (DeLone & McLean, 2003), technology acceptance theory (Davis, 1989) and social responses to computers (Nass & Moon, 2000), and extends success and acceptance theory to the voice-first service encounter.
What was found
Perceived quality behaves as one higher-order construct and is the strongest predictor of overall service quality, directly and partly through perceived usefulness. Interaction complexity shows no significant moderating or predictive effect.
Questions researchers ask
Is there research on voice bots specifically, not text chatbots, in customer service?
Yes. Dayan (2026, JTAER) studies AI voice bots in post-purchase electronic commerce service, with a survey of 295 users across eight service categories.
Do customers perceive voice assistants differently from chatbots?
Dayan (2026) argues that a voice-first encounter is a continuous spoken dialogue without a visual interface, so customers respond to the agent as a single social actor, and the data support a unified perception of quality.
Which paper applies the computers as social actors idea to AI voice bots?
Dayan (2026) grounds the holistic perception of voice bots in social responses to computers (Nass & Moon, 2000).
How to cite
Dayan, O. (2026). One voice, one impression: Why customers perceive the service quality of AI voice bots holistically and what it means for electronic commerce. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 21(10), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer21100363
Read the full research summary
Related
References
Dayan, O. (2026). One voice, one impression: Why customers perceive the service quality of AI voice bots holistically and what it means for electronic commerce. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 21(10), 363. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer21100363
Nass, C., & Moon, Y. (2000). Machines and mindlessness: Social responses to computers. Journal of Social Issues, 56(1), 81–103. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00153
DeLone, W. H., & McLean, E. R. (2003). The DeLone and McLean model of information systems success: A ten-year update. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19(4), 9–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2003.11045748
Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.2307/249008