Consumers’ desire to interact with a salesperson during e-shopping: development of a scale

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop a desire to interact with a salesperson scale and to explore possible tools for replacing salespeople on e-commerce websites. Design/methodology/approach For the exploratory phase of this paper, Study 1 used in-depth consumer interviews. Quantitative surveys were conducted for Studies 2 and 3. Findings A two-dimensional (instrumental and autotelic) eight-item scale for desire to interact with a salesperson was developed. The results of Study 3 suggested that e-tailers can increase customer satisfaction by implementing effective customer-based information (e.g. customer reviews) and e-contact features (e.g. live chatting with a salesperson). Research limitations/implications Although the current study validated the scale, a future study should further validate this scale in different contexts. Originality/value The present research was the first attempt to develop a desire to interact with a salesperson scale. This new scale now makes it possible to acknowledge differences in a desire to interact with a salesperson across demographics, product types, shopping purposes, etc., which should improve customer experience management.