How humanoid chatbot interaction quality builds trust and loyalty in hospitality? A mixed-method approach

Amid rapid AI-driven chatbot adoption in hospitality, how chatbot service quality shapes customer trust and loyalty remains underexplored. Addressing this gap, this study examines how user experience quality, emotional intelligence quality, and engagement quality influence customer trust and loyalty in WeChat-based hospitality services in China. Drawing upon Service Quality Theory, a mixed-methods approach was applied. Quantitative data from 302 customers were analyzed using Smart-PLS structural equation modeling, while qualitative insights from 26 interviews were thematically examined using NVivo. Results reveal that all three chatbot service quality dimensions significantly enhance customer trust, which in turn fosters customer loyalty, with trust mediating these relationships. Qualitative findings corroborate these results, highlighting the role of empathetic responses, interactive dialogs, and seamless experiences in building trust and reinforcing loyalty toward hospitality brands. This study advances AI-enabled service quality and trust-loyalty frameworks while offering actionable insights for designing emotionally intelligent, humanlike chatbot experiences in hospitality.