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Ready to outsource your company’s live chat support? Entrusting this business function with a reliable service provider can do wonders for your brand.
The importance of live chat support
Live chat support, or the use of open source web chat applications to deliver customer service, comes with the following benefits:
Convenience – Forrester Research found that as much as 44 percent of online buyers believed that having a live agent answer their questions through chat while making a purchase was among a website’s most important features. A study by ATG Global Consumer Trend also discovered that 90 percent of consumers found live chat helpful, indicating that they appreciate the convenience that it offers.
Cost reduction – It lowers average interaction costs, therefore lowering contact center costs overall. It enables live agents to handle multiple conversations in one go, increasing their efficiency and productivity.
Increased sales – A survey by emarketer.com revealed that 63 percent would likely return to a website that offered the service. The service is also known to increase customer satisfaction, which could lead to repeat transactions and an increase in sales.
Competitive edge – A study conducted by TELUS International found that most top retailers didn’t offer chat. Gain an edge over the competition by making this service available to online consumers.
The do’s and don’ts of outsourcing live chat support
Before you take the leap, here are some things to keep in mind.
Do:
Make sure that the team is highly trained. Live chat reps must have thorough knowledge of your brand, products, and website navigation. Provide them with FAQs and “cheat sheets” that will enable them to anticipate questions and give quick answers.
Hire reps with sales experience. A rep with a strong background in sales is more likely to nudge consumers in the right direction, as well as upsell them along the way.
Keep shopping hours in mind. If you have an international client base, then it won’t be enough to offer 9 to 5 live chat support. Make sure there are live chat reps at all times.
Offer useful live chat features. Customers should be able to adjust font size, as well as open or close chat box windows with ease.
Don’t:
Be monotonous. Encourage your reps to use conversational tone. Live chat appeals to customers because of its spontaneity and warmth.
Be unprepared to handle a spike in chat volume. Though live chat reps can handle multiple interactions at once, peak season can flood your contact center. Hire enough people, and instruct them to make customers understand that they’re in a queue and that a rep will attend to them ASAP.
Be shy to initiate contact. Being proactive with live chat support is more effective than being passive. Instead of waiting for customers to initiate a chat conversation (and they may not even be aware that the feature exists), have a rep start an exchange. A chat window can pop up whenever a buyer enters your site, and a rep can greet them and offer to help with any concerns.
Looking for a service provider who can take it up a notch? Visit our website today to get started.
