Comparing the Quality of Customer Service in 3D Virtual Worlds to Web-Based Service

In the Internet era, web-based services have become a convenient alternative to physical customer service interactions. However, lack of face-to-face interaction makes web service communication inefficient. The 3D virtual worlds provide a new platform that offers customer service, where users can communicate “face to face” via their representative avatars. We propose a conceptual model to compare the quality of customer service and users’ satisfaction in 3D virtual worlds to that of web-based services. Theories of computer display technology, communication, and psychology are applied to address how a 3D virtual world impacts users’ sense of presence, and their perception of customer service quality. We design an experiment in Second Life and set up a mock-up website to collect data in a post-study questionnaire. Structural equation model is adopted as the main methodology to conduct the multiple group analysis.

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