Using Chat for Support: How To Get the Most Out of It

Online chat is a great tool, but here are some methods to ensure you get even more out of it.

Incorporating online support chat for website pages is an invaluable tool that can yield a number of advantages. Live chat can make your website more engaging to visitors and can help set you apart from the competition. Despite having this tool at your disposal, there are a few more things that you can do to get the most out of it. When it comes to using chat for support, you should think about some of the following tips and tricks:

Integrate It With Your Website

The great thing about online support chat is that you can blend it in with your business. There are simple tools you can use to upgrade your live chat and make it more personal. There are so many things that can go wrong with live chats, and every poor experience can run the risk of alienating the customer. Therefore, integrating live chat into your business website can make the customer feel more comfortable in the environment. For example, making sure the colours blend in with the live chat, rather than making the online support chat for website pages a different colour, which could make it stand out in the wrong ways.

Be Proactive in Your Customer Service

One of the best ways to improve your live chat functions is to be more proactive, not reactive. We can all wait for customers to get the ball rolling, but we can initiate a conversation with a customer through simple reminders on the webpage. We can “nudge” them along and be the digital equivalent of the helpful in-store assistant that says “if you need us, we are here.” When you are designing these messages, there are a couple of things you need to remember:

• Personalise it. Making it as personable as possible (and not spammy) can make the customer feel more welcome on the website.
• Do not reach out immediately. One of the big mistakes we can make in any form of customer service is constantly reaching out to the customer. Rather than sending multiple invitations, you need to set the nudge to occur a minute or so after they've entered the webpage. The best online support chat for website pages should get the balance just right.
• Use a chat script. One of the biggest benefits of online chats is that a chat operator can engage in multiple conversations at the same time, and scripts are a fantastic way for team members to stay on track and deliver the right information. The trick to having solid and personable conversations is about using a script that acts as a blueprint. We should encourage team members to personalise the scripts and make sure it's in their tone of voice, while also matching the tone of the business.

Using Chatbots

Chatbots are not as personable as live chat, but they are a great backup tool if live agents are not available. Chatbots can help customers while they are waiting for a live agent to enter the conversation, but they could also be tailored to get to the route of the customers' concerns. A chatbot can answer some frequently asked questions and provide simple guidance as to when they can speak to a person live.

Managing Queues

If you are dealing with a high volume of enquiries, it is not always possible to accept these requests quickly. If you want to manage to use it effectively, you could benefit from incorporating some of the following:

• Showing the customer their position in the queue (instead of an estimated wait time). because a position in the queue is moving, and an estimated wait time would potentially make customers think they don't have long to wait.
• Offer another option for contact. You can offer the customer an option to email, especially if the chat times out. We've got to be realistic in the level of service we can offer during busy peak times. Ensuring that your customers have a variety of options, to either get in contact by phone or send an email, can manage their expectations better.

Think About How Many Chats an Agent Could Handle

Agents can multitask and handle a number of calls, but we have got to get the balance right, especially when it comes to delivering great customer service. Agents may be better at handling more than three customers at a time, but for the sake of consistency and delivering results, agents should be limited to two or three sessions at a time. This means chat agents can also handle additional tasks while on the line to the customer, for example, emails to other departments.

If you are incorporating online support chat for website pages, some of these best practices can make a massive difference, ensuring you get the most out of it.