What is Live Chat Customer Service: Tips for Higher Reach

Are you considering adding a live chat on your website? If so, you should know first what is live chat customer service to improve your eCommerce and customer service.

No matter how well your eCommerce is running, constant and growing leads are essential to generate more sales & revenues. Fortunately, businesses of all sizes can benefit from live chat, a component of advanced communication technology.

Live chat is the most valuable messaging platform that allows you to engage your customers with your website. You can easily qualify leads through live chat. Furthermore, you can make a good deal by providing effective customer service.

In this article, I will illustrate what is live chat customer service and its best use. This topic will help you handle your website through live chat customer service best practices, benefits, and examples. Let’s go through this.

What is Live Chat Customer Service?

Live chat customer service refers to a real-time service to customers by back-and-forth conversations with a live agent. You can respond to your customers quickly using live chat software embedded in your website. 

Live chat customer support solves customers’ problems right as they appear with adequate customer satisfaction. This platform allows a 1:1 conversation level via your eCommerce website. Now, what is live chat? Live chat software helps customers communicate with live chat agents in real time.

It allows you to provide actual human assistance via a small chat window. Besides, this tool helps you build stronger customer relationships and track team performance, sales rate, and customer satisfaction.

Having real-time and seamless conversations with customer representatives is crucial to a live chat process. The live chat process flow allows a customer support operation to be conducted by the owner through online chat platforms or applications. 

How Does Live Chat Work on a Website?

The live chat software tool lets website visitors get support or information via a small pop-up window. So, the website visitors type messages for information in chat sessions and get back messages from customer operators. 

The live chat software tool lets website visitors get support or information via a small pop-up window. So, the website visitors type messages for information in chat sessions and get replies from customer operators.

Here, let's dive into how live chat works in an authentic look:

• Step 1: Website visitors type their queries in your live chat session.
• Step 2: You can receive what they sent by typing.
• Step 3: your website visitors get a reply.

Generally, live chat solutions usually are embedded within the code. Now, you can choose your live chat icon and live chat window looks like and where to display the widget.

This application can be integrated into your website, social platforms, and other media. I want to tell you now what technologies support the live chat function:

• Front-end:

The live chat widget combines JavaScript code in your website or mobile application. This code allows the embedding of multiple media and applications within a website.

For instance, the HelpCrunch live chat app is built using the popular framework React. React helps to combine speed and flexibility at the perfect level for a live chat. 

• Back-end:

Now, how does live chat work from the back end?

Generally, live chat works based on various scripts and API endpoints. API is an application of a programming interface that allows programs to converse with each other. 

So, when the front end needs any action, it sends a request to the server. Then, the back end starts to perform.

For example, if any user types a message, the front end sends a corresponding request to the back end. This request is processed by a PHP script that asks to perform on request as a message. This message is sent back to the front end, saved in the database, and many more.

Benefits of Live Chat Customer Service

The benefits of live chat for e-commerce and the benefits of live chat for customers made live chat a must-have tool. Live chat is beneficial for both customers and eCommerce. Nowadays, 46% of customers would love to use live chat rather than a typical phone call. 

With live chat, customers can get faster-automated responses, saving time and energy. I am about to tell you the benefits of live chat customer service below: 

• Faster Response:

You can provide faster customer replies by integrating live chat with your website. Faster communication with accuracy makes efficient customer service, avoiding online chat issues like delayed and unseen replies, or wrong guidance. 

Live chat operator service is 13* faster with solutions than an email for advising, counselling, or other types of help. However, a faster resolution is the key to a positive customer experience.

• Automation Process

Generally, live chat is embedded into your website, you can integrate it with other customer support tools. So, live chat can automate the functional process of sales with a 24/7 live chat support service. 

Furthermore, you can respond to customers' common questions automatically, which frees up time. You can focus on other complex work to free up time.

• Omnichannel Support

Live chat offers an omnichannel experience to your customers. It allows you to connect your customers seamlessly with support.

Consequently, your customers don't jump up to other locations that are more likely to purchase. So, you can reduce your website's bounce rate and cart Abandonment and improve sales with better customer support. 

• Saves time at handling customers

Live chat increases productivity without wasting your time. It comes with time-saving features To improve time efficiency and speed.

Hence, live chat is a worthy tool for improving productivity and efficiency. Moreover, it reduces your average handling time and customer hold times at lower costs. As a result, you get opportunities to build Strong Relationships with your customers.

• Increase Sales & Revenue

Live chat helps to increase sales and revenues in several ways. It is an effective tool for engaging customers with your website by answering their questions. 

Customers who use live chat are more likely to purchase at 2.8*. Live chat helps customers clear their doubts, so conversion sales increase by 10%.

Moreover, live chat creates online lead generation at 40% more and offers recommendations that make potential sales. That's why chatbot marketing is now the most popular & trendy.

8 Best Practices of Live Chat Customer Service to Improve Customer Support & Sales 

The primary purpose of what is live chat customer service is to deliver constant excellent customer service. Though it is not easy, live chat helps significantly at the back end of excellent customer service. Live chat has no competitor for supporting customers and boosting sales undoubtedly. 

Let's follow some of the most significant live chat practice tips for high-quality customer support:

1. Maintain a Quick & Concise Response

Customers always love to get a quick reply. Maximum customers prefer live chat for concise and quick responses. Maintaining a short response time under 2-3 minutes is essential to provide the best customer service.

Businesses must focus on reactive and proactive service to achieve ultimate success. You can use live chat with customized chat windows, mapping their journey and implementing chat nudges to impress customers.

2. Monitor Customer Support Performance

It's essential to check your live chat performance for better live-managed chat support. Managed live chat support means proactive live chat with customers. It will help you to improve your customer service for long-term service. 

For example, you can use the best live chat software, Innue, for your e-commerce. This live chat software is the best online messaging bot that helps you to connect with your customers automatically. With this software, you can respond to multiple customers at a time and monitor customer support performance.

Here are some points you should monitor as a live chat operator for premium live chat operator service:

• First Contact Resolution Rate
• Average hold time
• Conversion Rate
• Total number of the chat section
• number of Abandoned chats
• Customer Satisfaction Score (CSAT)

3. Be Clear with Realistic Promises to Clients

The best part of what is live chat customer service is to fulfil customers' expectations. Customers expect short and quick answers when they contact you using live chat. So, you should set realistic expectations for answers that can solve their problems quickly. 

Live chat assistance/ operator would be involved and solved when any customer issue turns out complex. The online live chat assistant's job is to solve customers' problems and return them via email or phone.

4. Offer Multiple Chat Platforms

Adding various channels to live chat, you can best utilize this platform. Make an easy way for customers to reach you through their favorite channel. So, customers can contact you through live chat, email, or phone number or post on the Facebook page. In this case, you also get benefits by increasing sales.

For example, with the live solution, you can offer digital multiple chat support, including:

• Facebook Messenger
• Whatsapp
• SMS
• Google Business Messages
• Your app & Website

By doing this, you can interact with customers from any digital media and provide services.

5. Set Up an Offline Strategy

No one can hold 24/7 to respond to customers. But still, you can support customers through your live chat. Hence, live chat will let customers know when you will respond. 

In this case, you can add an automated response from a customer service chat to your live chat. Live chat will provide a response schedule and the FAQ's answer. Keep your customers up-to-date to engage more with your website. So, they are getting better customer service. 

6. Set-up Online Chat Etiquette Rules

The leading solution of what is live chat customer service is to maintain the best customer service by handling customers. You should set some etiquette rules in your live chat to maintain and provide effective customer service. 

Now, how do you handle your customers in live chat? The answer is to set up rules to handle your customers by following live chat customer service examples. Therefore, live chat support examples help you to provide consistent customer service and conversational chat.

However, set up clear guidelines to train all of your live technician support members:

• Always maintain a positive and helpful tone when interacting with customers. For instance, you can start the chat by "Welcome to our live chat! I am George, your live assistant". And you can send at the end "Good to see you, best wishes" to your customers.
• Try to address clients by their name to feel personalized response over them. 
• Respond to all inquiries without feeling hesitant or bothered. Make your clients feel valued and trustable.
• Ask your customers politely for non-demanding feedback requests at the end of the conversation. Besides, ask for any suggestions that your customers expect from you next time.

7. Ask Customer for Feedback

Are your customers delighted with your service? You need help understanding or assuming how effective your support team is. 

Only your customers can answer this question. However, it's easy to find their answers.

Asking your customers to rate your services is the best solution for this. In addition, you can ask multiple questions to get their feedback about your services. For example, you can ask customers about their experience after inquiring or purchasing. Due to this, you can acknowledge any lack or dissatisfaction with your service to improve it later.

8. Teaching Moment for Customers

Always try to drive constant conversation with your customers. Refrain from binding yourself to answering particular questions or what they ask. 

Look for opportunities where you can converse with them on related topics. For example, share an idea and knowledge or give tips or recommendations that might work on them.

Summary 

We have spent a thousand words to brief what is live chat customer service. I hope you understand now that integrating a live chat into your website helps to improve customer service and satisfaction. 

So, while choosing live chat for your website, keep reminded of two critical factors. Firstly, choose the perfect live chat for your website. Secondly, maintain the best customer service live chat performance constantly. Choose the best live chat for your eCommerce and follow the best practices that will help you maintain constant performance.