Using Emoji in Response to Customer Reservation Requests and Service Reviews

Abstract

The use of paralinguistic cues—including emoji—in computer-mediated communication has become prevalent in recent years. Brands and service providers have also been using these cues in their communication strategies. And yet, research examining how such emoji use influences customers’ perception and behavior is still scarce. In two experiments (combined N = 401 ), we tested if using emoji to reply to a customer request (restaurant reservation, Study 1) or online review (hotel experience, Study 2) influenced perceptions of the brands. The emoji used by the brand was always congruent with the valence of the situation. Results from both studies revealed that the presence (vs. absence) of emoji influenced consumers’ perception of the brand/service at several levels. Specifically, the restaurant/hotel was perceived to have a more informal communication style, have a warmer service, and be more modern. In Study 1, we also observed that emoji use had a positive impact on competence perception and reservation intentions. Importantly, these effects of emoji use were not moderated by the valence of the situation. Taken together, our results showed that emoji can influence different perceptions about brands and services and determine how customers relate to brands.

Expressions of Gratitude Applied to Business: A Lesson for Managing Online Reviews

“…Evidence indeed shows that directly engaging in digital platforms is crucial to building a relationship of trust with customers [4], and responding to online reviews is a way of publicly humanizing the business-customer interaction [5,6]. However, it can be an advantage or a disadvantage for the relationship.…”

Funny but not Credible? Why Using (Many) Emojis Decreases Message Credibility and Source Trustworthiness

“…The Internet and its subsequent technological advancements have provided individuals with numerous means of online communication, including instant messaging, social media, live streaming, video platforms, and discussion forums, all of which use computer-mediated communication (CMC; Cavalheiro et al, 2022). People use CMC for various reasons, including staying in touch with friends, carrying out work tasks, and interacting with companies or brands (Cavalheiro et al, 2022; Prada et al, 2022). CMC also allows users to communicate in multiple formats (e.g., text, images, animated GIFs, and video; Cavalheiro et al, 2022; Dunlap et al, 2016).…”

“…Furthermore, CMC allows users to extend their textual communication with nonverbal elements through the use of emojis (Kralj Novak et al, 2015). Emojis are paralinguistic elements (Lee et al, 2021; Prada et al, 2022) that allow the sender to express feelings, moods, and emotions (Cavalheiro et al, 2022). Emojis are used in multiple modes of CMC.…”

“…Emojis are used in multiple modes of CMC. For example, they appear in interpersonal communication through email and instant messaging, as well as in public communication through social media and digital advertising (Jibril & Abdullah, 2013; Lee et al, 2021; Prada et al, 2022; Yakın & Eru, 2017).…”

“…Studies investigating the effects of emojis mostly emphasize the positive effects of using them, such as increased attention (Bai et al, 2019; Willoughby & Liu, 2018), support for reading comprehension (Lo, 2008; Riordan, 2017), or messages containing emojis being perceived as more informative, attractive, and innovative (Prada et al, 2022; Yakın & Eru, 2017). Emojis can also increase the likelihood of interaction (McShane et al, 2021) and have positive effects on purchase intention and product recommendation behavior (Distel et al, 2022; Indwar & Mishra, 2022; Prada et al, 2022). However, most studies have focused on comparing the effects of no emoji use to using only a few emojis.…”