Customer expectations are on the rise. Customers feel happy and satisfied when businesses reach out to them in a quick manner. They generally prefer to stick with a brand that provides them good customer service. Chat support is a common method of customer service or support that offers assistance to customers through the use of a messaging app or online chat-bot. Delivered by live agents or through artificial intelligence (AI), chat support supplements more traditional customer service channels, such as voice or email.
Customers these days really like live chat. In a recent study, 41% preferred live chat, compared to 32% on telephone, 23% on email, and only 3% on social media. In fact, almost 80% of businesses say offering live chat has had a positive effect on sales, revenue, and customer loyalty. Chat may be popular, but doing it right isn’t easy. Writing high-quality chat is a lot harder than it looks. There’s, not just writing but managing a lot in less time. Hardly, as a live chat agent you’ll have to handle one or two chats at a time, we are looking at more than 5 to 6, with all of them coming with different queries and concerns, and we all know customers hate waiting.
In chat, critical reading is especially important because chat requires customers to write quickly, without editing, and sometimes customers’ writing is really sloppy and confusing. If agents can read critically, they can take in the customers’ writing and figure out what they are really asking. Also, agents would need to read between the lines. A customer maybe writing about something other than the real concern.
As an employee, you ought to be aware of your products so, in this situation you may want to be a bit proactive in asking questions. Hence, product knowledge is a must. Always stay informed of the regular updates and changes with the product and service to do the job without facing any hiccup. So, as when a customer comes with a concern you are ready with a quick answer and have a positive impact on the customer in terms of time spent.
Live chat, unlike other tools, gives support agents unique features that can help them to manage their workload better and faster. Chat support allows customers to connect with brands at their convenience, without having to pick up the phone. By connecting through chat support, customers receive instant responses in real time, expediting issue resolution and increasing customer satisfaction.
Great article!