The Influence of Natural Language Processing-Based Chatbots and Customer Satisfaction on Customer Retention in Marketplaces

This research investigates the impact of Natural Language Processing (NLP)-based chatbots and customer satisfaction on customer retention in Shopee, the leading online marketplace in Indonesia. Leveraging IBM SPSS 29 for quantitative analysis, data was gathered from 417 respondents via structured online questionnaires. Findings reveal that interactions with NLP-based chatbots are significantly associated with increased customer satisfaction (regression coefficient = 0.049, t = 6.229, p < 0.001). In addition, higher satisfaction levels are shown to positively influence customer retention (β = 0.186 , t = 7.409, p < 0.001). The analysis also indicates that customer satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between chatbot usage and customer retention (β = 0.055, p < 0.001). These results underscore the strategic importance of AI-powered tools—such as Shopee’s "Choki" chatbot—in delivering personalized, efficient customer service that fosters user loyalty and repeat usage. While this study is limited by a brief data collection period, the findings provide meaningful implications for e-commerce platforms aiming to enhance customer retention through AI-driven innovation.