A live chat experience is much more relaxed than a traditional phone call/email. Correspondingly, a friendly and somewhat casual greeting allows to creation of an emotional connection between the customer support and the customer. It adds a personal touch at the very beginning of the meeting and sets the tone for the rest of the chat. This can also help the customer in feeling more comfortable which will enable them to share information. There are several etiquette tips for web chat support that need to be followed.
A Personalized conversation is much more likely to result in sales and leveraging it is very easy. For example, using the customer’s name when greeting them. The simplest of greetings like “Hi [name]” can be useful”. This should then be followed by a proper introduction. An adequate introduction does not necessarily have to be formal. It should not even be lengthy but something that indicates convenient access and opening to ask questions. Like “How can I help you?”
1. Respond quickly
A quick response can be the deciding factor for whether or not a customer makes the purchase. The decision for a sale happens approximately in a few seconds, responding to all the queries immediately can therefore substantially improve the chances of that. Some strategies to ensure that the customer is not left waiting can be, integration with customer retention software. These can significantly improve the response time and the quality of customer support.
2. Keep the chat positive through all interactions
It is extremely important that the customer support agents maintain a positive attitude in their conversations. The absence of vocal cues, inflection, and conversational rhythm can pose challenges in chat interactions. The agents should consistently frame the conversations in a positive manner. There can be a variety of situations that the agent may have to deal with.
For example, in the case that a required product is unavailable, the agent could apologize and ask them to check in later for availability. Oftentimes, reaching out to the agent is a last resort for the customer. After trying everything, they contact customer support in desperation which means that it is very likely they are frustrated. Under circumstances such as this, it is vital that the agent shows empathy and understands the problem at hand.
For instance, “I understand why you are facing technical difficulties in this”. This can help in establishing a calmer and positive mood for the discussion.
3. Be proactive but not intrusive
Proactive support means to counter complications and issues before they turn into bigger problems. In order to do this, the agent should be mindful of particularly addressing the issue that the customer is communicating. Relevant and active responses can also help avoid repetition from the customer which could possibly frustrate them. Other than proactively handling the conversation itself. In web chat support, automation could be used to send out alert messages of for example new products. As important as it is to keep the chat vigilant, it is simultaneously important to ensure that it does not become intrusive. Agent should only intervene when it’s truly necessary and consider requesting feedback from the customer at the conclusion of the chat.
