Customers have always had big expectations when it comes to dealing with businesses. We all expect to be treated in a friendly, but professional manner and our queries dealt with swiftly.
Customer expectations have hit an all-time high, with many of us craving a personalised and proactive service across a variety of different channels, including web chat.
Why you need web chat
If you already have a customer service telephone line in place for your business, you may wonder why you would need to bother with adding web chat to your website too. But keeping up with technological trends is hugely important. Live chat, for example, was identified as key to customer satisfaction even back in 2019.
More often we are seeing people doing business at the time of day that suits them, which might be when your office staff have gone home for the day. We’ve also found that different customers prefer a variety of ways of getting in touch.
Web chat, for example, is especially helpful for anyone who doesn’t have the time to read through your website or a brochure for specific information. This sort of query may only need a quick answer that can be given to the customer through a web chat in just a few minutes.
So what are the benefits that web chat can offer to your business?
- Improved leads: If potential customers approach you using web chat, it’s often because they’re already interested in your business, but still have questions or doubts which need answering. A short but effective engagement at the right time can be key to converting your prospects. The ability to track their journey through your website means you can often anticipate the products they are interested in or the queries they might have.
- Swifter action: Web chat is great for those questions that don’t require a phone call or email exchange, but which are critical to a customer’s decision-making process. It’s especially helpful for anyone who doesn’t have the time to read through your website or brochure for specific information.
- Value for money: Web chat is often a cheaper way to manage conversations with customers. Chat agents can typically manage multiple chats simultaneously, increasing customer satisfaction whilst decreasing costs. What’s not to like about that?
- Customer satisfaction: Well-managed chat has been shown to positively influence customer opinion and is often the preferred method of communication for those with limited time or who simply prefer the simplicity and speed of text over talk. Customers want their needs met as quickly as possible and a good chat service can be unmatched in this regard.
- Competitive edge: In competitive industries, potential customers will move on very quickly to the next option if they don’t get what they want quickly. Having no chat or, even worse, slow chat may mean the end of many customer relationships before they’ve even begun.
The result? No more missed chats, near instant responses and potentially a significant increase in leads for your business.
