For immediate assistance, live chat remains a preferred customer channel. According to Customer Think, 92% of customers are satisfied using live chat as compared to other communication channels. From offering customers quick, convenient responses to enabling personalized communications, this channel should be a priority for every brand’s customer service. Here are six tips for providing your customers an excellent live chat experience.
Assist your customers proactively by sending live chat invitations when they are most needed. For example, you may send them once a customer has been browsing a certain page for more than ten seconds. Typically, it’s best to send these invitations as pop-ups on the right of the screen so that they do not interfere with the customer’s browsing. In addition, be sure to respond promptly to customers if they contact you first—never make them lose time!
Every chat interaction should be handled like a natural conversation. Agents may begin by introducing themselves and asking for the customer’s name (if unknown). Then, the customer should be invited to explain his situation. The key to mastering live chat lies in an agent’s ability to maintain a conversational flow. Make it a constructive dialogue that allows the customer to speak as well.
It’s best to keep paragraphs short so that customers do not feel overwhelmed. When explaining a solution, break it down into short steps. After each step, the agent should ask the customer if he needs clarification or possibly disagrees with the solution being proposed.
There will be times when an agent needs to pause the conversation. Perhaps he will need to research more information or ask a colleague a question. When this happens, it’s critical to inform the customer. Like the voice channel, chat does not indicate if both speakers are actually present. The customer must be reassured that the chat window has not been closed and that the agent will return to the conversation.
When a solution has been offered and the customer has accepted it, the agent should summarize the next steps. For example, he may quickly recap the procedure the company will follow and provide additional information such as a case number and phone number for further contact. Live chat helps you deliver excellent customer service.
Lastly, it’s important to know how live chat should be used to support your customers. For example, understanding which pages are in the greatest demand can help your company implement chat more effectively. Use analytical tools to determine popular webpages and the times when customers are most likely to browse. This information may then be coordinated with agents’ availability—remember to only offer chat when agents are actually working. Skill-based routing may also be used to direct customers to the most appropriate agents, ensuring a perfect match. With its personalized and efficient nature, live chat is an enduring customer service channel that every brand should optimize for greater customer satisfaction.
