Does Digital Improve Real-Time Customer Support?
From booking flights to ordering dinner, today’s consumers handle many routine tasks online. As consumers continue to rely on digital, businesses must adjust their customer support by offering real-time customer support.
Enter live chat. Live chat has become a valuable communication platform for businesses, allowing them to offer 24-hour customer support and cut down on phone and employee expenses. Not only is live chat advantageous for businesses, but it also benefits consumers.
Having real-time customer support is convenient for buyers, as they get immediate access to help. According to a study by Software Advice, titled “Impact Demographics on Live Chat Customer Service,” 56 percent of respondents surveyed said they have used live chat at least once to ask a question.
While there are many advantages to live chat, it’s important that businesses tread carefully when considering implementing such a service. If you’re company decides, for example, to integrate digital support into your customer care strategy, then it must be user-friendly. After all, customer care is all about creating a positive experience for your consumers. Your goal isn’t to make things harder for your consumers, rather your aim is to make things easier.
Therefore, if you decide to implement a live web chat service then you must train your staff of Communicators in managing incoming inquiries in real-time 24/7. Otherwise, the service will prove futile and your customers will likely be disappointed by your lackluster services.
Additionally, when integrating multiple customer care channels it’s important to ensure that users can transition amongst them easily without repeating basic information. If a customer isn’t satisfied with the support delivered via the Web chat platform, for example, he or she can easily access a “click to call” link so that he or she can be immediately directed to a live person without having to search through your website for the number.
Steve Brubaker began his career at InfoCision in 1985. In his current role as Chief of Staff and as a member of the Executive Team, he is responsible for HR, internal and external communications, and manages the company’s legal and compliance departments. Brubaker is a member of a number of professional organizations, including the DMA, SOCAP, and PACE. He also donates his time to serve on several university boards, including the Executive Advisory Board for The Taylor Institute for Direct Marketing at The University of Akron and The University of Akron Foundation Board. He is a frequent speaker for national events and has also been honored with a number of awards and recognitions for his contributions to the call center industry.