When’s the last time you actually enjoyed speaking to a support rep over live chat?
Or have you ever bragged about how the first person you chatted with resolved your issue? (that too in a matter of minutes)?
For most of us, it’s rare. You have more than likely been on this side of the spectrum so when building your own customer service you should keep in mind the issues that you have faced and people continue to face. Long wait time is the most common issue.
People complain about being left hanging, waiting for a resolution or response that never came. They also tend to go back into the chat window right after being disconnected, not aware that they are no longer writing to the same person.
And that leaves a bad taste in their mouth.
Here’s the kicker: live chat is no longer a luxury that will please customers by its mere existence. People now expect it, and they expect premium support while using it. And when every other website offers a live chat option, you need to boost your live chat customer support to stand out of the crowd.
But where do you start?
Minimize Wait Time
Ideally, people shouldn’t be made to wait for long between when they start a chat request and when your agent accepts it. Almost one-fourth of customers rate long wait times as their biggest frustration. They hate being put into a queue, understandably so.
The only way to ensure that doesn’t happen is by accepting the chat request as soon as it’s initiated.
Imagine if the person on the chat is angry or needs support urgently. It won’t leave a good impression if they’ve already been on hold for too long. Ask your agents to aim for an average wait time of 30 seconds or less.
Additionally, set up canned messages to reduce the pressure on your support staff.
Most live chat tools offer an ability to create pre-set messages, which automatically appear when the chat begins. You can greet the customer, provide some basic information, or just thank them for reaching out. Definitely, displaying these messages is a great way to provide some leeway to your agents.
When customers get an immediate response it makes them feel heard and valued. This feeling is important for holding onto customers. If they think they have a relationship with your business, they are most likely to stay with you, and this definitely is beneficial for you.
Final Thoughts
As I have talked already in a previous post, the agility factor helps you provide better customer support and because there are various channels available for the customer to contact, it also reduced the wait time making the experience far more pleasant.
