How Live Chat Can Increase Customer Satisfaction and Drive Sales
When customers have questions or problems with your product, service, or business, you need to be there for them. While phone or email are the traditional channels for customer support, live chat offers a convenient way to connect in real time and resolve issues right away. And, when implemented correctly, it also helps your business increase customer satisfaction, improve buyer loyalty, and drive more sales.
Unlike traditional email or phone, which require shoppers to search for a contact number or email address and then navigate through your website to find a contact form, live chat integrates right into the site or app via a consistent button or link that customers can easily locate. This accessibility reduces customer effort and is key to building customer loyalty. Plus, live chat offers an opportunity for businesses to deliver personalized experiences by connecting with customers in the context of their visit and offering relevant tips and information based on what they’re looking for.
With the rise of messaging apps like iMessage and WhatsApp, people are becoming accustomed to chatting with companies in the same way they chat with friends and family. This has created a higher expectation for brands to respond quickly, and live chat is one of the fastest ways to engage with shoppers. In fact, customers who use a company’s live chat feature are more likely to return to the site and make purchases in the future.
In addition to being quick and easy for consumers, live chat offers an advantage for businesses by allowing them to solve Live show problems before they escalate. For example, when a shopper uses the live chat feature on a home decor business’s website, they can get design advice from an agent that can help them purchase the right products for their space. And the business can then send follow-up emails to those clients with recommendations for similar products that might work well in their home.
But to reap the benefits of live chat, it’s important for teams to prepare and plan before implementing the tool. First, it’s critical for organizations to understand the volume of incoming queries that they can feasibly handle. This includes understanding their support needs, the skills of their agents, and how much time they have available to spend on chat.
Finally, they should consider the context of chat and what types of questions are most commonly asked so that they can have prepared responses for those situations. This will ensure that they can respond to customers quickly and efficiently without compromising their quality of service.
Another best practice is to communicate live chat hours to shoppers so that they know when to expect a response. Additionally, it’s a good idea to leverage data and enrichment tools with the chat experience to gather information on visitors, identify high-value leads, and personalize messages for future engagement. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a seamless customer experience that is consistent with your brand’s values and mission.