Live chat is a fantastic way to show your customers that you value their experience. According to recent research, 79% of users prefer live chat because it offers quicker solutions, and its consumer satisfaction rate sits at a whopping 92%.
And it’s not just B2C customers lining up at the live chat door. B2B buyers are also increasingly wanting this type of online customer support. So if you limit your customer service to calls and emails or don’t invest in understanding how to deliver a great live chat experience, you risk losing a lot of business.
How much? To give you an idea of the importance of clarity, the average loss per company due to miscommunication is $62.4 million per year.
But with this guide, you’ll have the tools to create a live chat experience that is clear and informative. Let’s begin.
Table of Contents
Before we dive in, what exactly is live chat?
Live chat is an online CRM solution that allows your customers to communicate with your employees in real time. It relies on custom application development and takes place in a chatbox that is part of the app.
Often, users will know you offer live chat support thanks to a widget in a lower corner of your website. At other times, a link to a live chat window is provided.
Live chat operators will have access to information that the visitor will not. For example, they will be able to track visitors and have access to analytics dashboards and canned responses.
Why is getting this CRM solution important?
Your website, service or product might have issues that you have no idea exist until your customers tell you about it. Your money could be going down the drain and you wouldn’t know why, and certainly not how to fix it.
Live chat empowers your customers to easily share their problems with you, which means you can fix the issue not only for them, but automatically for other customers, too.
Businesses that take advantage of live chat report increased sales, better conversions, and stronger relationships with their customers.
Reasons Why Miscommunication Occurs
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You can’t read body language in live chat
Knowingly or unknowingly, we pay a lot of heed to the body language while communicating. 70–93% of all communication is non-verbal.
For instance, you could misinterpret sarcasm as a serious comment vice versa.
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Inappropriate automated responses
There is a chance that there will be a glitch in automations, and also that your customer might get frustrated with too many pre-written messages. If this happens, your live chat customer support might end up being a lot less personalized than phone calls and a lot more clumsy.
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Digital communication lacks the emotional touch
While communicating face-to-face, you know how the other person is reacting. This helps you communicate more effectively. And if you are thinking of emoticons, they often aren’t sufficient for expressing what we feel (and are mostly unsuited to businesses.)
How to Avoid Miscommunication While Using Live Chat
Despite the potential hiccups, live chat remains the easiest way to stay in touch or pass on information to your visitors.
Here’s how to make the most of it.
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Place the live chat widget in the right-hand corner of the website
We start with making the live chat widget or window easy to locate, so that the customer doesn’t have to hunt for a way to contact you. It should be bright and small.
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Clarity is king
It seems obvious, but it’s astounding how many agents fumble with their communication. If you don’t master this one, there’s no point in getting a live chat app, because your customers will be heading for the hills.
Read the visitor’s message carefully. Don’t just skim through it. Your responses should be accurate and concise. And don’t forget to proofread your message before you hit the send button.
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Create a human connection
Personalize it! Use the visitor’s name and title, if you have them. Use your own photo and name so that they feel like they are talking to a human and not a robot. Be friendly and positive. Your customer will feel much more at ease and be able to give you a more detailed idea of their problem.
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Use screen sharing, video and audio
Audio and video mobile or web apps are great (and underrated) CRM solutions. They come in handy if you need to give detailed instructions to the customer. You will be able to guide the person in real time and show them exactly what they need to do (or see exactly what their problem is.)
It’s a good way to stand out in online customer support.
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Response time should be fast
75% of visitors believe it takes too long to reach customer support. This can lead them to abandon their carts or abort the idea of using your services entirely. Fortunately for you, live chat can solve that problem.
Here’s what you should do:
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Accept the chat automatically and inform your visitor that an agent will be with them soon if they require
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Install canned responses
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Access past customer information and chats to get an idea of what they might want
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- Stick to the topic
We have a tendency of throwing everything out at once while chatting. This doesn’t allow enough time for the other person to voice their concerns.
You should stick to one topic and then move on to next.
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Don’t use live chat for longer conversations
Text messages are appropriate for shorter conversations. But when we are talking about longer ones, it is important to keep a record of it through email. You will be able to use this thread for future reference.
On a similar note, if the context of your conversation is urgent, you shouldn’t rely on chat. Verbal communication over a call is better at conveying important matters.
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A knowledge base should be easily available to the user
You should be able to quickly direct your customer to any useful information they might require. This can include files, images, or even links on your website. For example, you can use an organized tagging system and a detailed FAQs page.
Live Chat Limitations – And What You Can Do About Them
Many live chat windows are unsuited for mobile devices. This causes unnecessary friction and inconvenience. Users need to stay in the chat box because if they close it, the conversation will be deleted. This is a massive pain point, especially if one has poor connectivity.
Trying to contact online customer service repeatedly is not something you should be allowing. If you don’t address these issues, you’re going to watch your money slide down the drain as your customers walk away.
The solution is in-app messaging.
With this, customers can exit the app without deleting their conversation. They can also receive push notifications once they receive a response from the agent.
Conclusion
Whether or not you require a live chat depends on your business, but passing one up could be a lost opportunity if you have the resources for it.
Live chat, when done right, is synonymous with good customer support, which in turn is synonymous with higher ROI.
And if you’ve read till here, you obviously want to deliver great customer experience. BluEnt can help you get there. We provide custom application development for live chats. Every part of it will be tailored to your business needs.
We’ve been helping organizations grow with IT solutions since 2003. Our experienced and certified consultants are dedicated to assisting you every step of the way.
Ready to up your customer support game with a live chat app? Contact us now.
Maximum Value. Achieved.