February 28, 2023

7 Live Chat Benefits for Support Teams

Many businesses focus their sales and profit generation efforts on other aspects of their business. If you want to scale your business, then you should not neglect the positive impact that your customer support team can build over live chat. Live chat is fast becoming a popular tool for customer support teams, as it allows businesses to interact with their customers at crucial times in the customer’s buying process. When used correctly, it can tilt the scales in favour of a purchase, which means more sales for your business. 

In this article, we’ll discuss what live chat is; Its importance to customer service; how useful it is in comparison to traditional tools used by support teams, and the benefits of live chat for support teams. 

What is Live Chat? 

Live chat is an app, tool or platform that allows your customers to have conversations with your support, sales, or product teams in real-time over the internet. It is suitable for facilitating one-on-one conversations with users or website visitors in order to guide them through a complicated process, proffer answers to their questions or provide any other kind of support that they may need. 

The way it typically works is that there’s a live chat widget included on your business or e-commerce website where your customer can type in a message, and then your team on the other end responds to them.

It’s also used by individuals who want to chat with friends or family members in real time.

One of the benefits of having a  live chat app is that it’s very convenient. You don’t have to wait on hold for a phone call, and you don’t have to worry about your email getting lost in a sea of other messages. Instead, you can get the help you need right away.

There are also so many options available on the market, making it easy and convenient to include free chat apps without spending a lot of money.

Other Tools Used by Support Teams for Communication

Apart from live chat, there are many other tools that support teams use to communicate with their customers, depending on their needs and preferences:  

Email: Email is a classic communication tool that’s still widely used by businesses today. It allows for longer-form communication and can be used for everything from customer service email inquiries to marketing messages.

Phone: While it may seem old-fashioned, the phone is still an important communication tool for many businesses. It allows for more personal interaction than email or chat, and can be a good option for complex or sensitive issues.

Video conferencing: With the rise of remote work, video conferencing has become an increasingly popular way for businesses to communicate with both employees and customers. It allows for face-to-face interaction even when people are in different locations.

Social media: Many businesses use social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to communicate with their customers and followers. This can be a good way to build brand awareness and also engage with frustrated customers in a more casual setting.

SMS/text messaging: Text messaging is a convenient and often more immediate way to communicate with customers. Many businesses use SMS messaging to send appointment reminders, confirmations, and other notifications.

Is Live Chat a Better Option for Support Teams?

Live chat is often used by businesses as a customer service tool since it allows customers to get help quickly and easily without having to call or email. It is a better option than other tools in certain situations, but it may not be the best choice for every business or scenario. 

In comparison to email, live chat allows for immediate communication, which can be especially helpful for customers who need quick assistance. It’s often faster than email and can be more efficient than a phone call.

Live chat can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, making it a convenient option for customers who may be on the go or who don’t have the ability to make phone calls from certain locations. 

In comparison to a phone call or video conference, live chat allows customers to multitask while they wait for a response, which can be a more efficient use of their time. 

Also, live chat conversations can be easily saved and reviewed later, which can be helpful for both customers and businesses in case there are any questions or disputes down the line. They’re also a cost-effective way for businesses to communicate with their customers as opposed to more costly options like phone calls and video conferencing software. 

Of course, live chat also has its limitations. It may not be the best choice for complex issues that require a lot of back-and-forth communication, and it may not be preferred by customers who prefer a more personal or formal touch. Ultimately, the best communication tool for your business will depend on your specific needs and the preferences of your customers.

Benefits of Live Chat for Support Teams

Before purchasing a live chat support software for your business, you’re probably faced with the question of choosing the best live chat apps to add to your website and whether your choice will benefit your business needs. Well, here are some important live chat benefits for you to consider before making a final decision.  

Improved Customer Satisfaction

Live chat provides customers with quick and efficient support. As a result, they are more likely to be satisfied with the service they receive. With live chat, support teams can handle multiple chats at once, reducing wait times for customers.

Increased Efficiency

Live chat allows support teams to handle multiple chats simultaneously, resulting in faster response times and increased productivity. This leads to quicker resolution times and happier customers.

Cost Savings

Live chat can be a cost-effective solution for support teams. With live chat, businesses can reduce the number of support agents required to handle customer queries. This means fewer staff members and lower staffing costs.

Improved Customer Insights

Live chat provides businesses with valuable insights into customer behavior. By analyzing chat transcripts, support teams can identify common issues and develop strategies to improve the customer experience.

Increased Sales

Live chat can help support teams increase sales by providing customers with real-time assistance during the buying process. By answering questions and providing product information, support agents can help customers make informed purchase decisions.

Improved Brand Reputation

Live chat allows support teams to build stronger relationships with customers. By providing efficient and effective support, businesses can increase customer loyalty and improve their brand reputation.

Competitive Advantage

Live chat can provide businesses with a competitive advantage over their competitors. By offering real-time support, businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors who only offer email or phone support.

These benefits can help any business scale its live chat customer service by simplifying processes. Here are some best practices for using live chat in customer service.

1. Respond quickly: Live chat is all about speed and efficiency, so it’s important to respond to customer inquiries as quickly as possible. Aim to respond within a few seconds or minutes, and set clear expectations for response times. Use chatbots to answer frequently asked questions.
   
2. Be friendly and personable: Live chat is a great opportunity to provide a more personal touch to customer service. Use friendly and conversational language, and address customers by name when possible.
   
3. Use canned responses: Canned responses are pre-written messages that can be used to quickly answer common customer inquiries. Use canned responses for frequently asked questions, but be sure to personalize them when necessary.
   
4. Empathize with customers: Customers want to feel heard and understood, so it’s important to express empathy and understanding when they’re experiencing a problem or issue.
   
5. Use positive language: Positive language can help defuse difficult situations and improve customer satisfaction. Use positive language even when addressing negative feedback or complaints.
   
6. Escalate issues when necessary: Live chat may not be able to solve every customer issue, so it’s important to know when to escalate an issue to a higher level of support.
   
7. Follow up with customers: After a live chat conversation, follow up with customers to ensure that their issue has been resolved and to ask for feedback on the support experience.
   
8. Analyze chat transcripts: Live chat transcripts can provide valuable insights into customer needs, preferences, and pain points. Analyze chat transcripts to identify areas for improvement and to make data-driven decisions.

By following these best practices, you can use live chat to provide exceptional customer service that meets the needs of your customers. This can help build stronger customer relationships and increase customer satisfaction, leading to improved retention rates and increased sales.

Conclusion

Live chat is an essential tool for support teams. It provides numerous benefits, including improved customer satisfaction, increased efficiency, cost savings, improved customer insights, increased sales, improved brand reputation, and a competitive advantage. By implementing live chat, businesses can provide better customer support, increase customer loyalty, and improve their bottom line.