Disdavantages of Live Chat: 3 Ways to Kill Customer Interest and Make Them Run for the Exit

By Cheby Labrague 2 Comments

We’ve talked about adding online help chat tools and why it helps increase sales. For some unlucky chaps, though, adding a live chat to their websites has proven to be a disaster. While a chat widget is very easy to add and won’t directly affect a website’s performance, having it jive with visiting online shoppers is a completely different story and takes a bit more effort. Many website owners who have added an online chat think that’s enough and then falls into the desolate realm of the disadvantages of live chat.

A live chat widget is supposed to enhance visitor/customer experience while browsing your site. However, the opposite can also be true arising to some many claim as the disadvantages of live chat.

  1. Staffing and Speed
  2. Cost of Software
  3. Picked the Wrong Chat Tool

Staffing and Speed

So an online store owner has succumbed to the lure and the promises of having a live chat tool but missed the hindsight of staffing. Now the busy secretary and the web admin are grudgingly replying to incoming chats. Very delayed replies, missed chats are common, and other horrors non-believers point as the disadvantages of live chat quickly become apparent. “It’s just temporary”. Well, they’re kidding themselves – so is the owner. Staffing is crucial. After all, the person behind the live chat is your business’s voice. The responsibility should not be played lightly. When manning the client chat panel becomes a secondary job responsibility, the customer feels less prioritized and the live chat customer support feature becomes a disaster instead of an efficient sales tool.

Cost of Software

A live chat software can cost a lot, if you’re clueless. That said, opt for a web based online help chat instead. You can access it anywhere with your username/email and password using any computer and browser. Most live chat software requires installations which limits your ability to use different devices. It can eat up computer resources too. Bottom line is it can cause more inconvenience rather than make your life easier. Offerchat is a web based chat app that attempts to do it a hundred miles better. Also, you don’t have to shell out any cost for the actual tool while enjoying all the premium perks of having a live chat widget on your site that allows visitors to directly contact and chat with you 1 on 1.

Wrong Chat Tool

With the multitude of chat tools in the web today, it’s easy to get lost in an ocean of choices. Most online help chat offered by companies are paid. They have different features dependent on the price you’re willing to pay. They support one-on-one chatting though which make them perfect for e-commerce sites. Most free web based chat widgets, on the other hand, only allow group chats and are for recreational purposes. However, there are free, web based live chat customer support tools like Offerchat that provides one-on-one chatting with e-commerce site visitors. All the perks of the paid chat tools without the price tag. Read here why Offerchat is free.

These so-called disadvantages of live chat actually have solutions. We are working on the right solutions for each pain point. We’ve solved most of them and the rest are being brewed. Why not help us out? Be one of the first beta users who’ll actively use the Offerchat web based live chat app and tell us what’s yay or nay. In return, you get the premium tool for free when we launch officially. Think of it as an investment. Get your forever free premium live chat tool after the jump.

Cheby Labrague

Cheby Labrague

Cheby writes about live chat insights, improving conversions, epic customer service, online marketing and everything in between. She will take you by the hand in exploring how to extend your website's earning power through Offerchat's smart live chat tool, and even smarter live chat people.