A dyadic analysis of media synchronicity and task type in live chat online customer service

Live Chat Online Customer Service (LCOCS) is an innovative tool for delivering real-time and on-demand assistance to online customers. The purpose of this study is to examine the communication processes between the dyadic partners who use text message exchanges and co-browsing in LCOCS. A framework was constructed on the foundations of Media Richness Theory and Media Synchronicity Theory to investigate the impacts of media synchronicity and task type on dyadic communication and the influence of performance of communication on customer satisfaction in LCOCS.; Three hundred and sixty-three transcripts of intact chat sessions were collected. Two outside judges who were not familiar with the research were selected to code the transcripts. Findings of the study showed that low and high levels of media synchronicity did not have differential impacts on the effectiveness of dyadic communication in live chat sessions. However, live chat sessions that used text message exchanges alone were, in fact, more efficient than those that used co-browsing. Moreover, live chat sessions supporting response tasks and procedural tasks were equally effective in answering questions. Consistent with expectation, delivering direct answers was more efficient than providing step-by-step directions to customers. Furthermore, it was found that increasing effectiveness of communication led strongly to better customer satisfaction. However, increasing efficiency unexpectedly reduced customer satisfaction in live chat sessions. Finally, the results failed to support Media Synchronicity Theory: there was no significant interaction between media synchronicity and task type on the effectiveness of dyadic communication in live chat sessions.; This study contributes to both research and practice. The proposed conceptual framework can be applied to similar research contexts, especially those investigating task-oriented interpersonal communications. The three-step coding procedure and the analysis of the live conversations can be used as a reference for scholars who will use a similar methodology in their research The descriptive statistics can serve as a guideline for organizations considering the adoption and evaluation of LCOCS. The findings also help managers to more thoroughly understand communication processes during live chat sessions, and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of online support to better serve their customers.