Live Chat Features that Attract Customers

Live chat is a service you can use to improve your customers’ experience and your business results. For more information learn how you can enhance customer experience with live chat.

When you choose a system, there are features you can look for that will attract customers and increase their satisfaction with the live chat experience. Here are the most critical features for customer satisfaction.

Routing the Chat

One thing that annoys customers when they call a business is being transferred to different support reps until they reach someone who can answer their question. The last thing you want to do is replicate that problem with live chat.

Look for the ability to ask a question when the chat is initiated, allowing the system to route the chat to the appropriate support rep the first time.

Creating a Trouble Ticket

Customers would love to have 24/7 access to a live chat, but they realize that may not always be possible. If your chat is offline, you don’t want to leave your customer feeling frustrated. The best way to avoid that is giving the customer the ability to create a trouble ticket right from the chat screen. It lets the customer know that you care about their question, even if you’re not able to provide a live chat operator.

Setting Chat Hours

You will naturally need the ability to set chat hours, whether the chat is available 24/7 or only during specific times. Another way you can help your customers is to have the ability to communicate those live chat hours. When a customer knows when live chat will be available, they have the choice of either creating a trouble ticket or returning to the website during live chat hours.

Posting Chat Wait Times

No one likes to wait. But, the wait can be made easier when the customer knows how long they will need to wait. Posting wait times shows that you value their time. In addition, it gives the customer the choice to return at another time, or to do other things while they wait.

Providing Helpful Information During a Wait

What would be better than getting the right answer before even chatting with a live agent? Look for the ability to provide common resolution paths or answers to frequently asked questions while the customer waits for the live chat.

Proactively Engaging with the Customer

Look for the ability to initiate a chat invitation based on various triggers. For example, if a customer is staying on a page for an extended period, trigger a chat offering assistance for the information on that page. If the customer is perusing your FAQs page, trigger a chat offering a direct answer to their question.

Providing Chat on a Variety of Devices

Your customers will use a variety of devices to visit your website. Make sure you can offer live chat on all of them. Chatting on mobile devices is especially important. Research shows that approximately 82 percent of online shoppers are using a mobile device.

Identifying a Signed in Customer

You can initiate a highly personalized live chat when you have the ability to identify the customer if they are logged in to their online account. That level of personalization will delight your visitors because they feel a personal connection.

Emailing a Chat Transcript

If the customer requests a transcript of their chat, it shows that they value the information they received and may want to refer to it later. The ability to email a transcript increases customer satisfaction.

Tracking Chats in Your CRM

This feature has a dual purpose. It allows you to track interaction with your customers, and you’ll be better able to assist them in the future. From the customer’s perspective, it’s a big benefit if they can avoid repeating their question if they need to contact you again with a follow-up issue.

Final Thoughts

These are just some of the features you need to look for in a live chat system. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact the experts at Datavail. Call us at 866-239-9699, or send an email for more information.

You can also learn more about live chat features that will make your live chat strategy as effective as possible. Look for another post coming soon.