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

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.