Live chat improves your customer experience (CX) because customers value fast, real-time support.
Quick links:
Combine automation and human touch
Leverage live engagement tools
We can help you get up to speed with live chat or any other aspect of CX. Schedule a free consultation today and we’ll help you get a handle on your opportunities, best tools and technologies, and more.
What Is Live Chat?
Live chat is a real-time messaging channel between customers and your business through your website or app. This digital support option lets customers skip phone calls or emails and connect with your support staff instantly and online.
The Importance of Live Chat for CX
Live chat provides the following benefits for the customer experience:
- Provides instant responses to customer inquiries, reduces frustration, and improves satisfaction
- Enables support tailored to individual needs and preferences
- Handles complex issues effectively, surpassing the capabilities of self-service options
- Reduces customer service costs while maintaining high-quality support
- Offers a competitive advantage by meeting and exceeding customer expectations
- Improves customer engagement through real-time assistance and proactive support
- Gathers valuable customer feedback for continuous improvement
- Increases sales and conversions by providing timely support throughout the purchasing process
- Boosts customer satisfaction rates more than other customer service channels
- Builds customer loyalty with a strong commitment to customer support
How to Improve CX With Live Chat
Live chat boasts plenty of perks that can boost your sales and drive business growth. Let’s discuss some practical strategies to use live chat for customer engagement that will deliver an exceptional customer experience.
- Provide instant support
- Personalize interactions
- Combine automation with the human touch
- Leverage live engagement tools
- Gather customer insights
- Offer in-app support
Let’s dive into each of these recommendations in greater detail.
Provide Instant Support
Speed is of the essence when resolving customer complaints or handling issues. When you respond quickly to customers, they feel valued and are more likely to continue being customers.
Live chat allows your customer service team to respond in real time to each customer. Customers are happy, they spread positive vibes about your brand, and they spend more money with you.
Personalize Interactions
Personalization makes customers feel valued and leads to a better overall customer experience. When they feel appreciated, customers tend to stick around longer and spend more money.
Live chat gives your team a chance to tailor each conversation to an individual customer’s needs and preferences in real time. This personal touch helps build stronger connections between your brand and your customers.
To implement personalized live chat interactions, train your team to use customer names, reference past purchases or interactions, and adjust their language to match each customer’s communication style. Use customer data to offer personalized support and suggestions that match each customer’s unique needs and interests.
Combine Automation With Human Touch
Automation streamlines customer support, but it needs a more personal touch. Live chat gives the empathy and intuition that customers crave. Combine automation with live chat for the best of both worlds.
Chatbots handle simple, repetitive inquiries 24/7. They are always ready to assist, taking care of minor tasks. With this, your human agents can focus on more complex issues. When chatbots encounter a challenging problem, they seamlessly transfer the chat conversation to a human agent for additional support.
Chatbots efficiently handle routine matters, while human agents provide in-depth knowledge and empathy when needed. You will get a support system that works non-stop to satisfy customers.
Leverage Live Engagement Tools
Live engagement tools take live chat to the next level, turning ordinary interactions into immersive experiences. Agents use co-browsing and video to guide customers through processes, resolve issues, and provide real-time visual assistance. This transforms standard chat sessions into powerful, personalized support.
Co-browsing enables agents to accompany customers as they navigate a website or application virtually. It eliminates confusion and frustration by allowing the agent to see exactly what the customer sees. This leads to precise, guided support.
Video chat adds a human element to the interaction and creates a stronger connection between the agent and the customer. Seeing a friendly face and hearing a comforting voice helps build rapport and trust. Agents can also detect nonverbal cues to understand better and address customer needs.
Gather Customer Insights
Live chat is a goldmine of customer insights. When you gather those insights and analyze them, you gain priceless information about customer pain points and areas of improvement. You can use these insights to improve the customer experience, which improves your bottom line.
Make the most of these valuable insights with a robust analytics system. Track key metrics such as customer satisfaction, response times, and common issues. Review this data with your team regularly. Look for trends, identify areas that need improvement, and make informed decisions based on the data.
Keep an eye on your live chat data and use it to make smart decisions. The more you understand your customers, the better you can serve them. Build your business around your customers, and you’ll set yourself up for success in the long run.
Offer In-App Support
In-app live chat support means users can get help without leaving your app. No need to switch screens or lose their place. The live chat icon stays put in the app, ready to lend a hand whenever a question pops up.
This keeps things running smoothly for the user. No interruptions, no friction. Just tailored support based on where they are and what they’re doing in the app. It’s convenient, relevant, and keeps them happy to keep using your app.
In-app support also helps users get a handle on all your app’s features faster. They’ll pick things up quickly with some timely tips and guidance. Once they see everything your app can do, they’re more likely to turn into loyal, long-term users.
Best Practices for Implementing Live Chat
For maximum improvement to your customers’ experience, implement the following live chat practices:
- Train your customer service team. Make sure your customer service agents are well-trained in using the live chat feature. They should know how to handle customer inquiries, provide instant responses, and maintain a friendly tone in customer conversations.
- Set clear goals and metrics. Define what you want to achieve with live chat, whether it’s reducing average response time, increasing customer satisfaction ratings, or boosting sales. Track these metrics to see if you’re meeting your goals.
- Integrate with other tools. Connect your live chat software with your tech stack, such as your CRM or helpdesk system. This will give your customer service team more context about each customer, so they can provide better support.
- Offer chat support where it’s needed. Make sure the chat box is easy to find on your website or app. Put it on pages where customers are likely to have questions, such as product pages or the checkout process.
- Use canned messages sparingly. Canned messages can save time, but don’t overuse them. Make sure to personalize your responses and address the customer’s specific issues. If a customer query is too complex for a canned response, take the time to write a custom reply.
- Be available. Offer chat for as broad a window each day as possible. If you can’t provide 24/7 support, your chat availability should be clear and you should offer alternative contact options for urgent issues.
- Follow up after the chat. After a chat ends, send a follow-up message to make sure the customer’s issue has been resolved. You can also ask for feedback on the chat support experience. This shows customers that you care about their satisfaction and helps you identify areas for improvement.
Best Live Chat Tools for CX
The right live chat software empowers your team to provide swift, personalized support that leaves a lasting impression.
To find the right live chat solution, look for these features:
- Customization options: the ability to tailor your chat widget’s appearance, messaging, and triggers to align with your brand identity and customer preferences.
- Intelligent routing: advanced algorithms that direct inquiries to the most suitable chat agent or department based on skillset, availability, and customer history.
- Real-time analytics: detailed insights into key metrics such as response times, customer satisfaction scores, and agent performance provide data-driven optimizations.
- Canned responses: pre-written replies to common questions that enable agents to provide faster, more consistent support without sacrificing quality.
- Mobile compatibility: a responsive design that ensures seamless functionality across many devices and allows customers to access support on the go.
- Integration capabilities: the capacity to sync with your existing tech stack, including CRM, helpdesk, and analytics tools, for a holistic view of customer interactions.
- Robust security measures: stringent data protection protocols, such as end-to-end encryption and compliance with industry standards, to safeguard sensitive customer information.
Based on these requirements, here are some of the best live chat tools we have found:
- LiveChat
- LiveAgent
- Customerly
- Olark
- Freshchat
- Zendesk Chat
- Tidio
Live Chat vs. Other Customer Service Channels
Let’s compare live chat to other communication channels to see the differences in the customer experience.
Live Chat vs. Phone Support
- Live chat has a shorter wait time and customers can multitask.
- Phone support gives more personal support and is better for solving complex issues.
Live Chat vs. Email Support
- Live chat gives fast, real-time help and is good for fixing quick and easy problems.
- Email support is better for detailed explanations and non-urgent questions.
Live Chat vs. Social Media Support
- Live chat is private and secure and is focused on one-on-one communication.
- Social media support happens in the public, which some customers would rather avoid. But, if an issue goes viral on social media, it can actually help solve that problem for a lot of people in one shot.
Live Chat vs. Self-Service Options (FAQs, Knowledge Bases)
- Live chat offers personalized, human support, and gives a more guided, interactive experience for customers who need extra help.
- Self-service options are available 24/7 and can reduce support requests. Self-service also lets customers find answers on their own.
The key is to know your customer’s preferences and the types of questions they ask. With a mix of channels that cater to different needs and communication styles, you’ll create a well-rounded customer service strategy that encourages loyal customers.
When you use live chat together with other channels in a seamless omnichannel approach, it helps create an exceptional customer experience that makes your brand stand out.
About Symplicity
At Symplicity, we’re passionate about helping businesses create exceptional customer experiences.
Here’s how we can help:
- Assess your current customer service channels and identify areas where live chat can have the most impact
- Provide recommendations on the best live chat support tools to integrate with your existing tech stack
- Train your customer service team on live chat best practices to ensure they deliver top-notch support
- Assist with setting up proactive chat triggers and canned messages to improve response times and efficiency
- Analyze your live chat metrics and customer feedback to continuously refine and enhance your approach
- Ensure you partner with the right solution providers at optimal pricing
When you partner with us, we take your success seriously. We’ll meet you where you are now, and guide you to reach your full potential.
Ready to take your customer experience to the next level with live chat? Contact us today to schedule a consultation and learn more about how we can help.
Live Chat FAQ
What does a live chat agent do?
A live chat agent interacts with customers through a chat service to answer questions, address customer issues, and provide personalized support. They use customer service tools to access information and resources needed to deliver a positive customer experience.
On which communication channel can you incorporate live chat?
Live chat can be incorporated into many communication channels, including websites, mobile apps, social media platforms, and messaging apps. This way your customers can choose their preferred channel to contact you.
How do you handle complex queries in live chat?
When faced with complex queries, live chat agents assess the issue and provide detailed, step-by-step guidance. If needed, they escalate the query to specialized chat teams or other departments. They can also initiate a voice or video call for more detailed assistance.
Can you provide personalized CX with live chat?
Live chat allows agents to create a personalized experience by tailoring their responses to each customer’s unique needs. Agents can access customer information, such as purchase history and preferences to provide relevant recommendations and support.
What are the do’s and don’ts of chatting?
Here are some things you should and shouldn’t do in chatting with customers:
- Do: be friendly, empathetic, and professional. Use positive language and active listening. Provide accurate information and solutions.
- Don’t: use jargon, sarcasm, or negative language. Make promises you can’t keep. Ignore or dismiss customer concerns.
What is the live chat process?
The live chat process starts when a customer initiates a chat. Then a chat service agent responds and collects information about the customer’s issue. The agent then provides a solution or guidance to address the problem. The conversation concludes when the issue is resolved or escalated if needed.
Is live chat better than calling?
Live chat offers several benefits over calling, such as shorter wait times, the ability to multitask, and an easily accessible chat history. Some customers may prefer the personal touch of a phone call, especially for more complex issues.
What is the role of artificial intelligence in live chat?
AI-powered chatbots can handle simple queries and provide instant responses 24/7. They can also gather initial information about a customer’s issue before transferring the conversation to a human agent. AI streamlines your chat support process and allows agents to focus on more complex issues that require personalized assistance.
Further Reading
How can I use customer journey mapping to improve my CX?
What is a digital experience platform?
