Web Chat Software -Revision for Decision-Makers

Hang in there!

Only a couple more weeks until the Easter break gives you and your colleagues some much needed rest. Escape to a sun-drenched island, spend some quality time with the family or simply sit back in front of your favourite TV show – whatever it takes to recharge your batteries.  

At Click4Assistance we have spent the last 9 months sharing the benefits of web chat software with UK universities, giving practical examples of how the technology can boost the productivity of their student-facing departments and make life easier for members of staff. We identified the most common communication issues that plague admissions and accommodations offices, and then explained how the same live chat software can offer a practical and affordable solution.

There’s a lot of information to absorb, especially when university life is at its busiest.

With that in mind, the Easter break is a good time to reflect on the topics we’ve covered in this blog series.

After researching the flow of the academic calendar we spent October discussing the challenges of targeting 18-21 year olds, the primary demographic target for universities. Web chat software is well-suited for this generation as it is a similar communication format to instant messaging. This provided the groundwork for looking at the applications of online chat software within the accommodations and the admissions office, the unique requirements of each department and how their needs can be met through a wide variety of features.

Over this period we discovered that the ability for one university staff member to engage with more than one student at a time has been singled out as one of live chat’s biggest advantages of traditional phone communication. Optimisation of resources is absolutely key for universities, especially leading up to September. Web chat software has also been recognised as more efficient, providing a higher first-contact resolution rate than e-mail. Not only can one Admissions Officer operating live chat be as productive as 2-3 colleagues manning the phones, the functionality available in the technology also help them to manage their workload far more efficiently than phone or email. This helps to boost student satisfaction and create a more pleasant experience for university staff as well.

In December we discussed how funding questions can be redirected to the correct authority, namely the Student Loans Company and in January we put forward a case for deploying online chat to improve access for overseas students. It also means there are no call charges involved; foreign students only need an internet connection in order to initiate a dialogue with your university.

A text-based communication environment is more comfortable and provides instant answers, unlike phone and e-mail.

Lastly, our emails have included attachments that demonstrate how current UK universities are implementing web chat software to manage everyday enquiries from prospective and existing students, domestic and foreign. If you missed these attachments or they were filtered out by your email client, please contact us and ask for a case study or customer example of another university using our online chat software.

Enjoy your Easter break, but reflect on the busy period that you and your team faced last summer. There is still plenty of time to implement a better tool for dealing with the July-September rush. If you think web chat software could enhance your day at work or create a more efficient admissions or accommodations office, contact our university team on 0845 123 5871, via theteam@click4assistance.co.uk or start a conversation and see live chat in action.