Virtual onscreen assistants: A viable strategy to support online customer relationship building?

The benefits of customer-salesperson relationships are difficult to obtain on retail websites when the interaction lacks direct human contact. This study verifies an association between the presence of a virtual Onscreen Assistant (OSA) and perceptions of functional and social relational benefits by potential customers. This has not previously been established. A theoretical model of relationships between relational benefit perceptions, trust building and patronage expectations is derived and tested. There is considerable potential for OSA use to build relational benefit perceptions but participants were only moderately positive about present OSA capabilities. Substantial technological development is still needed to support social interaction.