Technology is nowadays characterized by real time interactions. This is exactly what is happening in customer service. Businesses are expected to deliver quick responses and to be able to fix problems in a short period of time. While the last one depends on external factors such as the severity of the issue, the first one can somehow be fulfilled. We’re talking here about live support chat.

How would it be like to receive Support without having to wait for a representative to become available or to listen to a repetitive song until somebody took your call? Basically these are the gaps live customer Support Chat intends to fill. It offers customers an additional communication channel and promises them an immediate response.

Studies have shown customers are reacting positively towards live support. Here are a few examples that illustrate the power of this channel:

• Live support Chat enables businesses to solve problems in 42 seconds. This means helping a larger number of clients and great customer satisfaction, as they receive answers quickly.
• 79% of customers prefer live support chat because they receive answers fast
• 44% of them said a live support specialist was one of the most important aspects when making an online purchase
• Having a live support chat determined 63% of customers to return to a website. This can mean customer retention rates may be higher where live chat is available

The benefits of live support chat are obvious. Yet, enjoying them requires some work. There are a few steps which can help you understand what it means to deliver excellent customer service through this channel.

Choose the right live support chat software

Choosing the right live support chat software is a crucial step for your company. As a business owner, you need to pay attention to the features you are looking for in the software, how it works and how it can adapt to your business.

Start with a friendly greeting

Chatting is a more personal way of communicating and the way you begin the conversation can be a major indicator of how everything will continue. Depending on your business policy, greet customers using their first or last name. Look at this example:

“Hello Robert/Mr Johnson! How may I help you?”

It’s friendly, polite and encourages customers to tell you more about their problem.

This can also go very well if you are using support chatbots. The tone is personal, meaning it won’t make customers feel they are talking with a robot.

Answer quickly

We’ve seen earlier that the main reason customers use live support chat is because it’s fast. Answering quickly is a must in this situation. This doesn’t mean you need to deliver the full solution of a problem in 42 seconds. Some issues require more time and complex research.

What you can do is say you will get back to them as soon as possible. Explain you need more time because it’s a more complex situation and you want to offer them the best service. It will show them you care about their problem and are doing what you can to solve it.

Pay attention to what they are saying

Again, live chat means fast answers. This is what the customer has in mind.

What you need to focus on is every detail of their request. Read their question(s) carefully in order to fully understand what they asking from you.

You may also find yourself in front of a complex request formed of several questions. Break them down and take each question one at a time. This way, you make sure you give them the right answers.

Look at who you’re talking to

When a customer contacts you via live support chat, take a quick view over their profile. Look at what products, services they’re using or if they had any problems in the past with them. It may give you hints of how to deal with the current situation.

Keep it simple

This refers strictly to language. Remember you are chatting. Write precise answers and easy to read messages. Don’t get caught up in specialized language and jargon.

Pay attention to the ending

How you end the conversation is as important as how you start it. Instead of a simple goodbye, go for a “Let me know if I can help you with anything else.” or “I’m glad to help you with anything.”     

Also, you can use emoticons, emojis, stickers or GIFs to end the conversation in a surprisingly pleasant way.

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