Beyond The Phone: Live Chat In Customer Service

Customer support via phone is gradually fading away, while the live chat service is taking over the world. It’s not like people will stop calling because phones remain a useful source of communication, however, live chat offers a cost-free, real-time service within a minute. Which is, to be honest, quite faster than picking up and dialing the phone, in addition to waiting and listening to some songs until an agent finally responds.

This type of the service is cheaper for both customers and organizations, apart from being the friendliest customer support of them all. By comparing the customer support expenses, the average support using live phone costs about $7-$33, whereas live chat assistance costs $3-$10, depending on the size of the business.  

Then again, the perks of live chat in customer service don’t stop here, as it has a much larger role in the industry. Going from increased conversion rates, building customers loyalty, to the customer support in education and a broader audience refusing to return to websites without a live greeting window, live chat is an essential tool of the digital age we live in.

Live Chat vs. Phone Support

The market heavily depends on consumers, so the corporate world is always on the lookout for the best communication software there is. For that reason, the use of live chat continues to rise, making an admirable growth from 30% in 2009, 52% in 2013, and reaching a worldwide peak due to the fact that 89% of companies are competing on the basis of customer experience.  

But what visible differences between the phone and chat service are making the immediate live support option more popular? First all there is a timing issue. With a phone service, a customer initiates a conversation, while live chat support offers real time responses, as well as personalized interactions with each consumer.

Another crucial difference is the fact that live chat offers to record and review customer conversations. This option brings valuable insights into people’s behavioral patterns and gives ideas on how to improve business operations.

With such valuable data, organizations can efficiently resolve customer problems during the first contact and provide immediate solutions that ultimately lead to a reduced number of calls and chat complaints.

Furthermore, live chat is what people prefer and customer satisfaction is the number one concern. Actually, there are studies confirming this claim, as 62% of the consumers who used live chat said they were likely to purchase again. And 40% of them are more inclined to make an online purchase once a week due to a live chat support.  

Why Customers Love Live Chat Service?

To answer this question, you must ask yourself the following – what kind of the service are you more likely to respect? Probably the one with efficient and professional support like nearly a third of consumers expecting available live chat when coming into contact with a business. Thus, by reducing the customer efforts organizations create a loyal base of clientele.

Moreover, the highest customer support satisfaction rate (73%) comes from a live chat service, as opposed to 61% for emails, and 44% for phone. Thus, the key characteristics of live chat that people love are:

• Convenience – 44% of customers think having a live person assisting the purchase is the most important feature a site could offer.
• Speed – The live chat interaction begins, on average, within 30 seconds after the customer’s first chat initiation.  
• Familiar Form of Communication – People between 18-34 years of age prefer a live chat solution to phone calls.
• Easier to Share – Most people like to keep their information private, which is exactly what live chat provides. Every interaction, questions, and info are safe with live chat.   
• Personalized Service – Live chat support is more personal than any other communication channel.

Live Chat Customer Support in Education     

Although it may sound strange, live chat customer support is beginning to get a foothold in education. The customers in question are sponsors, parents, students, and the community. Many facilities are adopting this technique in order to improve the educational experience since nearly half a million high school students leave the schools each year.

The purpose of a kind and friendly live support in education is mainly to retain the customers by being more welcoming while keeping them aware of their responsibilities and assisting them the whole way through. After all, the first impression matters, so they are trying to make the best possible one via a greater service.

With so many positives that live chat software provides and taking into account that the new generations live on the Internet, it’s no wonder that education has to transform to comply with the demands of the majority. Likewise, parents, students and other people involved have to get the complete picture of what the school is about, their way of working and all the options they give.

Additionally, social media and websites are more than advertising tools. Today, many parents and students will get in touch via social media platforms to get the info and feedback. Therefore, integrating a live chat seems like the best solution, as not only will customers get a quick and pleasant service, but they will get the updated, real-time information.

Summing up

Live chat is the where the future is heading. With more businesses implementing this tool to improve their operations and retain customers, it’s not difficult to imagine why this widget is of such importance in education. Firstly, people prefer it, and secondly, it gives more value and a personal touch. In the end, we are witnessing a digital revolution, which means the rapid exchange of significant information in real time.