March 24, 2023

Strategies for Improving Writing Speed in Live Chat (+ Free Typing Test Tools)

Customer service agents play a vital role in ensuring that customers have a positive experience with a business. One of the most important skills for customer service agents to have is the ability to communicate effectively and efficiently. 

With the rise of live chat as a popular customer service channel, it is crucial for agents to have a good typing speed. The ability to type quickly and accurately allows agents to respond promptly to customers’ inquiries, resolve their issues in real-time, and provide a satisfactory experience. 

What’s WPM?

Words per minute (WPM) is a measurement of how quickly someone can type. It is frequently used to determine how many words per minute a person can type. If you can write 60 words per minute, for instance, that’s 60 WPM. The words-per-minute (WPM) scale is widely used to guage a customer service agent’s typing speed. 

Why It’s Important to Improve Your Typing Speed

Typing speed plays a crucial role in customer service, as it directly affects response times and the quality of customer support. The faster you type, the quicker you can respond to customer inquiries, which helps reduce wait times and improve customer satisfaction.

Improving typing speed can have a direct impact on the productivity of customer service agents in the following ways

• Faster Response Time: With faster typing speed, customer service agents can respond to customer inquiries more quickly, reducing the response time and increasing the efficiency of the communication process. This, in turn, helps agents to handle more inquiries in a shorter amount of time.

• Increased Accuracy: Faster typing speed also allows agents to focus on the content of their messages, making it easier to avoid errors and inaccuracies. This results in better quality responses and reduces the need for follow-up messages to clarify misunderstandings.
• Improved Multi-Tasking: Faster typing speed allows agents to type while simultaneously reading and processing customer inquiries. This enables agents to handle more inquiries simultaneously, improving the overall productivity of the agent.

What Typing Speed Should You Aim For?

When it comes to typing speed, it’s important to aim for a balance between speed and accuracy. 

The average typing speed for individuals in general is around 40 words per minute (WPM). However, this is not necessarily the ideal typing speed for live chat scenarios, where quick responses are often required.

Aiming for a typing speed of around 60-80 WPM is recommended for live chat scenarios. This allows you to respond to customer inquiries quickly and efficiently, while also ensuring that your messages are accurate and free from typos or errors.

While speed is important, accuracy is equally essential when it comes to typing in live chat scenarios. Typos, misspellings, and other errors can lead to confusion and miscommunication with customers, which can be frustrating for both parties. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that your typing speed is paired with a high degree of accuracy, so that you can provide the best possible service to your customers.

Strategies for Improving Typing Speed

Improving typing speed requires practice and the use of various techniques. Some of the most effective techniques include: 

1. Practice regularly: The more you practice, the better you’ll become. Set aside some time each day to practice typing and gradually increase the duration of your practice sessions.
2. Use proper finger placement: Proper finger placement is essential for efficient typing. Learn to position your fingers on the keyboard correctly, so you can reach all the keys with ease.
3. Take typing lessons: Typing lessons can help you learn proper typing techniques and improve your speed. There are many online typing courses and apps available that you can use to practice typing.

4. Use online typing games: Online typing games can be a fun way to improve your typing speed. They offer a range of typing exercises and games that can help you practice typing in a fun and engaging way.
5. Increase your typing speed gradually: It’s important to increase your typing speed gradually to avoid making mistakes. Start with a comfortable speed and gradually increase it as you become more proficient.
6. Take breaks: Taking breaks can help you avoid fatigue and prevent injury. Take short breaks every 30 minutes or so to stretch and rest your fingers.
7. Use the correct posture: Proper posture is important for efficient typing. Sit up straight, keep your feet flat on the ground, and position your keyboard at a comfortable height. Your arms and elbows should be relaxed, and your wrists should be straight.
8. Focus on accuracy: It’s essential to focus on accuracy, especially when you’re starting to learn to type. Speed will come naturally with time, but accuracy is the foundation of efficient typing.
9. Use the right keyboard: Using the right keyboard can make a big difference in your typing speed. Choose a keyboard that has a comfortable layout and is easy to use.

10. Minimize distractions: Try to minimize distractions when you’re practicing typing. Find a quiet place to practice, turn off your phone and other distractions, and focus solely on your typing.
11. Practice typing with different types of content: Practicing typing with different types of content can help you become more comfortable typing different types of documents, such as emails, reports, or essays.
12. Learn keyboard shortcuts: Learning keyboard shortcuts can help you save time and increase your typing speed. Start by learning basic shortcuts such as copy, paste, and undo.
13. Use online typing tests: Online typing tests can help you measure your typing speed and accuracy. Take regular tests to track your progress and identify areas where you need to improve.

Want to Improve Your Average Words Per Minute? Try out these free tools

• Ratatype
• Typing.com 
• Keybr.com 
• 10Fastfingers
• TypingTest.com 

Conclusion

So far, we have explored the importance of typing speed in live chat and the strategies you can use to improve your typing skills. In order to serve your customers better through live chat, start practicing the tips and techniques we have discussed to improve your typing speed and accuracy in live chat.