For businesses with an online presence where they sell services or products, live chat and your phone answering service go hand-in-hand. Despite this truth, many businesses have yet to bring the live chat services into their customer service mix. That’s why it’s important to understand some of the benefits of setting up live chat as part of your phone answering service.
You’re well aware that the majority of your potential customer base is making purchasing decisions via their mobile devices. What you may not realize is that many of them are likely to hit the “chat now” button when they have questions when it is available rather than call you directly when they are searching online.
While statistically most consumers want a live person interaction while making an online purchase, they overwhelmingly enjoy the anonymous, convenient, and instantaneous aspects of live chat. By working with a phone answering service that provides live chat support, you can provide your customers with this additional communication channel and dramatically increase the number of customers that can be helped simultaneously without wait times.
A live chat operator that is part of your phone answering service can provide assistance for items and processes on your website and order processing support in addition to answering other product or service questions. Because you have live agents with your phone answering service, they can be available via an 800 number to discuss issues with the customer when the need goes beyond the scope of live chat. In addition, this service is also providing call answering for overflow when you or your employees cannot get to the phone on the first ring or after business hours.
The goal is to provide immediate answers to your customers in whatever mode of contact that they choose. This versatility also extends to providing them with the ability to switch communication modes in the middle of a transaction or enquiry without an interruption. This is the level of service that customers expect, and when they get it, they reward it with ongoing business and higher levels of business loyalty.
This not only benefits your business bottom line in direct ways, but also in indirect ways by allowing you to concentrate on running your business. Just as your customers want fast, friendly, knowledgeable and efficient phone and online communication, you too benefit from being able to free yourself from high levels of phone interactions. Ultimately, having live chat services that are integrated with your phone answering service will provide your customers with the same level of personalized and human customer service that you and your in-house staff can deliver.
