ONLINE CUSTOMER SERVICE - CHAT VS. PHONE/EMAIL Although beginning only in mid-90’s, development of World Wide Web has certainly transformed the way we communicate. Today, people rush to a website to find every single piece of information they need. Despite the fact that there is an enormous information bazaar available online, that was still a need for some human element on the websites that could provide on-demand, on-location, reliable and convenient support. Live chat tool is that one expedient widget which provides answers to almost any question that a person could come up with. It is a great assistance tool for customers where they simply have to type their query and have their problems worked out in a matter of seconds. Also known as instant messaging, live chat support provides with an interactive platform where customers can converse with the company representatives in real-time. It is much faster than phone call or email and a customer can solve his problems in a much logical manner without losing his way, hence saving his time as well as money. Revving up the world of online business, Live Support provides assistance where will or resources fail you. It has helped change the way business is done. Dealing efficiently with the ever-increasing influx of online shoppers, it facilitates the customers by resolving their last minute queries. Detailed below are some of its standout features that make this extraordinary customer service tool even more useful than telephone or email.
Live Chat vs. Telephone People always gravitate towards a communication channel that is instantaneous and provides easy accessibility. In this context, live chat support software can bridge the gap between you and your customers. Unlike a phone call, it expedites communication and isn’t frustrating at all when it comes to engaging customers while tracking and suiting their preferences all at once. It is a highly effective tool that would help maximize customer retention rate and even translate into higher revenues for businesses. Following are some of the points that establish its credibility by showing how convenient it is than telephone service. The option to have a phone call is certainly comforting but sometimes the responses are
too slow or it can take hours to get to the root of a problem. In this context, live support software is less complex and more efficient than phone support. With live chat support, standby representatives can immediately connect to the customers without any hassle at any time of the day. It practically facilitates less wait time and gets back to the customers within seconds. Operators can easily provide the visitors with relevant links to web pages and even take them through the entire shopping process, which phone agents cannot do. Another feature that makes this software useful is its cost-efficiency. On an average, chat
with customer service costs 3 to 6 times less than a phone call. Various researches have shown that a telephone session costs about $6 to $20, while an average chat session costs
just about $3 to $5. Live Customer Services Support facilitates person-to-person interaction at lower expenses hence increasing the profit margins for a company. Adding more to the efficiency factor, chat operators can hold multiple chats concurrently,
whereas phone operators are able to assist only one customer at a time. It means handling the same number of customers with a fewer agents. Therefore, multitasking by helping more than one customer at a time, live chat support realistically embraces the goal of successful customer interaction without affecting the quality of service. Furthermore, after-call work for chat agents is much less than that of phone agents. Phone
agents spend considerable time in inputting complete and accurate log of a phone call, which can adversely affect their productivity metrics. A chat agent, on the other hand, can just email the chat transcripts, hence wrapping up even more easily and automatically reducing his after-call work time.
Live Chat vs. Email Immediate on-demand services certainly take precedence over delayed Customer Services Support. Although email is a quick way to comply with clients' requests, yet application of the mighty live chat software has certainly provided online businesses with that sought-after impetus. Elaborated below are some of the points, which prove that when it comes to serving consumers, chat with customer service is a more viable option than email support. Email support can range from receiving an immediate response to getting a delayed
reply. On the contrary, chat service enables company representatives to get back to the customers within seconds. The experience is exactly like that of a brick and mortar store, where a company rep is always present at client's every beck and call. Once clients get that sense of urgency to resolve their queries, it creates a feeling that their desires are being valued by you which would always make them come back again for that pleasant shopping experience. Secondly, live chat is a two-way discussion between trained service reps and website
visitors. It entails conversing with the customers directly and instantly, whereas email is just about sending a message and then waiting for its response. Emails are messages, letters, records that are not two-way at all. Whether it is a business enquiry or a simple transaction, emailing always requires a
correct contact addresses. On the other hand, live chat support is not just restricted to the visitors whom the business wants to contact, except it is exactly like instant messaging where every customer can immediately connect to an operator for help 24/7. According to Forrester Research, online customer experience is critical to meet business goals. Every business should acquire accurate understanding of customers and their needs by aligning its
strategy with it. Therefore, this powerful live chat application can make a world of difference to your business by easily turning browsers into actual customers. When it comes to providing quick solutions conveniently, this software comes as a practical way to increase proximity between problems and their answers. Besides resolving customer queries and curtailing the risks of shopping cart abandonment, this software makes it much easier for businesses to draw more clientele and effectively target areas that need improvement.