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AI-Powered Chatbots and the Enhancement of Customer Service and Personalization in Corporate Supermarkets: Evidence from Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Yebimodei Esther George PhD, Angonimi Odubo

Abstract

This study examines the effect of AI-powered chatbots on customer service quality and personalization in corporate supermarkets in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Three dimensions of AI- powered chatbot functionality conversational intelligence, 24/7 service availability, and personalization capability are tested against two dependent outcomes: customer service quality and customer personalization experience. Using primary data collected from 238 retail customers across five corporate supermarkets in Yenagoa through a structured questionnaire, the study employs simple regression analysis to test three null hypotheses. Results show that conversational intelligence (β = 0.511, R2 = 0.261, p < 0.01), 24/7 service availability (β = 0.474, R2 = 0.225, p < 0.01), and personalization capability (β = 0.493, R2 = 0.243, p < 0.01) each significantly predict customer service and personalization outcomes. These findings establish that AI chatbot adoption is not merely a technological novelty but a commercially consequential capability that tangibly improves the customer experience in Nigeria's growing organized retail sector. Practical and policy implications for retail managers, technology providers, and consumer protection regulators are discussed.

Keywords

AI-powered chatbotscustomer servicepersonalizationcorporate supermarketsconversational intelligenceretail technologyBayelsa StateNigeria

References

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