How Chatbot negative experiences damage consumer-brand relationships in hospitality and tourism? A mixed-method examination

Abstract

Amid rising AI-powered chatbot adoption in hospitality and tourism, this study explores how chatbot negative experiences shape brand hate and outcomes. Drawing upon stimulus-organism-response theory, we examine brand irritation, brand-indistinctiveness, and consumer helplessness as antecedents of brand hate, desire for detachment-(DD), and desire to participate in online firestorms-(OF) as coping responses/outcomes. The moderating role of negative affectivity on brand hate and its antecedents is examined. This research adopts a mixed-method approach, comprising interviews with 34 users and data collection from 484 Chinese participants. The results established the role of brand hate as a mediator between irritation, helplessness, and subsequent outcomes. Additionally, negative affectivity is found to moderate the relationships in question significantly. This study contributes to hospitality management, brand management, and chatbot development by enhancing our understanding of consumer experiences in this context. It represents a pioneering effort to integrate negative experiences with chatbots within the framework of consumer brand hate.