5 Sure Ways to End Crappy Live Chat Support for Good

In a recent American Express study, consumers ranted how crappy customer service in the web is. This includes, but is not limited to, live chat support. Negative sentiments consumers have about customer support is causing businesses to lose some serious bucks.

Take a closer look at the numbers below:

80% - admit they have quit midway to completing a transaction because of lousy service

89% - admit they move to a competitor after experiencing bad customer service

Consumers have become very sensitive about the customer service experience they get and they have two knee-jerk reactions when dealt with crappy live support: they quit and they go to the next guy who can do better.

It’s time to get serious about ending crappy customer support. If you’re smart, knowing these consumers’ knee-jerk reactions to bad customer service alone will make you realize excellent customer care through live chat support not only retain customers but also attract new ones.

So if right now your customer care quality is less than stellar, here are 5 ways you can end a crappy live chat support without breaking the bank:

Improve your speed

Online shoppers expect to be connected instantly with a live chat agent when they use chat. They also expect agents to respond quickly. Notification alerts play a crucial role in getting an agent’s attention every time a new chat message comes in so that a customer on the other line will not be disappointed. Loud sound alerts and tab notifications are extremely helpful. Make use of Offerchat live chat tool’s IM integration feature if you prefer to have a dedicated program handle chats, separate chat from browsing, and get more conspicuous notification alerts.

Be smarter, show initiative

Live chat features that allow you to be smarter are: the pre-chat form, transfer, and chat history.

The pre-chat form feature allows you to gather information about a customer or site visitor before a chat conversation starts. Make sure you or your live chat agents read what customers log into the pre-chat form.

Most live chat tools, including Offerchat, have a “transfer” feature. When transferring a customer to another agent who can assist him/her better, be sure to brief the agent what the customer wants along with other important details. By doing this, customers won’t have to repeat themselves over again and frustrations are thwarted.

Agents receiving the transfer should read the previous chat logs to get a clear view of what’s going on. Customers will appreciate your asking for a few seconds to skim through the history of the previous conversation than asking them to fill you in. Having customers repeat themselves is a surefire rant starter.

Use saved responses responsibly

Saved responses are of great help to agents but over-reliance on them can be disastrous. As a professional handling live chat customer service, understand that not all customer scenarios are covered in the canned responses. Don’t be lazy to type out a sincere response. And always remember to be clear and concise while you’re at it.

Brief the team on the company’s brand and voice

As the manager or the owner, take the responsibility to orient your team with the company’s brand and voice. Having this exercise puts everyone on board in the same page. Online consumers love consistency; they can get easily confused by mixed messages and generally put off with robotic, dull interactions.

Conduct regular live chat training and mentoring sessions

Most people underestimate live chat thinking they could just hire someone with “superb typing skills” and live happily ever after. It’s a concept that’s greatly flawed in so many ways. Understand that live online chat is a unique form of communication quite different from phone and email. Successfully providing online customers with a satisfying live chat experience lies in the agents’ ability to manage the chat conversation in an efficient and effective way.

Business owners and managers should understand that conducting regular training as well as mentoring and coaching sessions will inculcate skill sets such as asking the right questions and in the right manner. These will define how a consumer perceives the quality of live chat customer service you provide. Part of the advantages of outsourcing live chat agents is the fact that these agent training sessions and quality coaching are done by the outsourcing company making it very convenient for most business owners.

Over to YOU..

What are the live chat support difficulties you’re presently hurdling? How are you overcoming these hurdles?