Live chat support is a high-end instant messenger. It is nothing but a web service software which allows businesses to communicate or chat in real time with their website visitors. It provides immediate customer support and has features like custom chat window, real time visitor monitoring, web analytics and invisible traffic analysis. It can be integrated with websites and comes with secured administration controls.
In today’s digital era, IT automation is inevitable for organizational efficiency. A major chunk of IT expense is directed towards ongoing systems support and maintenance. Businesses adopt dedicated support for efficient IT operation. Dedicated IT support needs 24/7 operation. Because of this requirement for uninterrupted support, live chat is a compatible tool for the operational requirements of a dedicated tech support. But like any other tool, this also carries advantages as well as disadvantages.
Advantages:
- Live chat allows multi-tasking
While waiting for the response indication, customers can do other needed tasks. It also allows service agents to serve more than one customer and allows flexibility to do other works (like keeping a record or track of their daily operations).
- Live chat increases transparency and keeps proof of contact
Live chat software has the option to get a transcription of the interaction. This will be helpful for customers for future references. Service agents can use them for repeated communications, saving time. This also makes every communication recorded.
- Provides 24/7 availability
Customers want support whenever encountered with an issue, irrespective of the fact that its usual business hours or not. Live chat makes 24/7 support possible, reducing response time as well as backlogged requests, increasing customer satisfaction.
- Reduces unnecessary costs
Telephonic support cost money and time; there can be a waiting time. Live chat comes at no cost, it’s easy to install it (unlike a telephonic system). With live chat, more chances are there to keep customers calm, increasing the respectful treatment of service agents. No need to have a separate staff to handle live chat; existing staff can dedicate a fixed time period to handle it.
- Brings analyzable data
Live chat brings invaluable data through, Referring links (Finding the link which directed customers to the site, revealing their intentions / behaviour), Information on the online status (Can understand whether the customer is active or idle, online), Online Time (Gives insight on whether a customer is online just now or for a while), etc.
- Increases customer satisfaction
Live chat can increase customer satisfaction through Instant, 24/7, tailored support. It also provides data which can give insights into customer behaviour, helping to maintain customer satisfaction.
Disadvantages:
- It can be distracting
Live chat can cause distraction from other works. When customer-response have long gaps, It will waste the time of service agents and distract the service agent’s attention from other works.
- Beware; Doing it badly is worse than not having it
Live chat will give the expectation of 24/7 availability to customers and not responding within the promised response time can make them feel insulted. Same result applies when the live chat show an offline status.
Live chat can equip customer service with unique capabilities to achieve the highest customer satisfaction. But, if live chat is not effectively used, it will result in breaking promises, backfire and end up in losing customers. Only adopt live chat if 24/7 dedicated support is demanded from your customers and use it perfectly to keep the promises; Otherwise, it is recommended not to go for it.