Customer Service Glossary
What Is a Live Chat Answering Service?
A live chat answering service is a real-time communication channel that allows customers to connect with an available agent. Live chat answering services feature chat-based communication channels, such as an instant messaging application embedded in a website and live agents who respond to customer concerns.
Live chat communication channels have become increasingly common as businesses seek new ways to gain an advantage over their competition. These convenient, timely support channels often lead to improved customer satisfaction, enhanced brand loyalty, and an uptick in sales, as long as businesses ensure that live chat messages are answered quickly.
Many companies don’t have the budget to hire 24/7 in-house customer support. Instead, they turn to live chat answering services. These customer service solutions pair talented virtual receptionists with customer-centric companies. Each receptionist provides prompt client assistance, resulting in satisfied customers and increased revenues.
Why Are Live Chat Answering Services Important for Customer Service?
Live chat answering services enable clients to connect with a professional customer service representative at any time of the day or night. As a result, customers can receive rapid answers to questions, resolve issues, and access guidance before, during, and after purchases.
Other benefits of using an answering service for chat-based communication channels include:
1. Positive First Impressions
More than 60% of customers expect a business to offer live chat support on its website. This convenient, streamlined approach to customer care allows shoppers to initiate a conversation with a live agent from anywhere, at any time.
In addition, this mobile-friendly support channel makes it easy for on-the-go consumers to make purchasing decisions or resolve issues without interrupting their busy schedules.
2. 24/7 Support
Many in-house customer support teams cover a single shift, meaning that customer questions and concerns could remain unanswered for 12 hours or more. Live chat answering services put the “instant” back in “instant messaging,” making it easy for customers to connect with live agents working rotating shifts at a call center.
3. Strong Customer Relationships
Live chat answering services help build stronger customer relationships through personalized, hands-on communication. Many live chat platforms store customer purchasing data, interaction history, and other critical information.
Agents can then use the information to create a seamless interaction with both new and long-time customers, resulting in increased customer loyalty and repeat purchases.
4. Enhanced Efficiency
Live chat services allow agents to ask questions, clarify user intent, and qualify leads, often resulting in more sales. These instant messaging communication channels streamline the support process, too. Agents can navigate between multiple chats simultaneously, using the pause as one customer types a response to answer another.
5. Improved Customer Satisfaction
Live chat services yield an 85% satisfaction rate with customers worldwide. This instantaneous approach to customer care helps reduce frustrations like wait times and language barriers. Most importantly, customers can receive the support they need when they need it.
How Live Chat Answering Services Work
Live chat answering services work similarly to a call center. However, instead of answering telephone calls, agents carry on helpful conversations with customers through an instant messaging platform.
Some businesses embed live chat software in their websites, making it easy for customers to open a chat window and ask questions. Others use social media platforms, such as WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, to provide support.
Customers can launch the instant messaging window to connect with a virtual receptionist. The agent can then answer questions or provide support during the sales process. In addition, agents can initiate conversations with customers at crucial moments during their journey, increasing conversion rates and improving the customer experience.
Live Chat Answering Services for Customer Service
Although live chat answering services and other other chat service providers are a relatively new addition to customer care, this call center-like instant messaging solution can help streamline customer care, increase sales, and improve brand loyalty. Customers can reach out and connect with an agent immediately. The agent can then access customer data to provide real-time support and a satisfactory service experience.