People want access to effective customer service when they need it and when it works best for them. Communication channels are constantly multiplying and in addition to the phone call, emails, and social media outreach, customers are beginning to expect the companies they do business with to be available another way: on their website, with live chat.
How live chat can help your business.
Meeting the needs and expectations of your customers is part and parcel to a successful business strategy, and adding live chat to your customer service repertoire is great for your customers and smart for your bottom line. Live chat prospects are 4.6 times more likely to convert into customers than potential clients who reach out via other channels.
In fact:
- 42% of all customers prefer live chat to other means of contact
- 73% of customers are satisfied with live chat experiences
Simply put, in our super-connected world, people expect service virtually on-demand and in the medium of their preference. Yet, only 14% of companies are taking advantage of live chat, which makes it a huge opportunity for you to set your company apart!
Besides being the most effective and preferred method of delivering great customer service, live chat can help position your business to rise above the competition.
Present a more professional image.
Live chatting gives your business a professional and customer-friendly approach to convenient communication. Through a live chat specialist, you can help your clients:
- Answer FAQs
- Collect feedback
- Connect to Sales or another department
- Learn about your products
- Troubleshoot
The best part? All of that can take place outside of regular business hours, whenever the customer needs something, 24/7. The right service will represent your business effectively and efficiently.
Gather customer data.
This is where live chat really separates itself from more traditional means of customer service: data gathering. A chat specialist experience can be customized to collect data that helps you convert contacts into customers, and nimbly handle any issues. For example:
- Collect insight to pain points
- Flag common product questions
- Personalize future interactions by adding to your database
- Track referrals and build relationships
The opportunity to gather actionable insights lets you proactively tackle any issues, understand each customer and their needs holistically, all while giving a personal and friendly experience.
Refine your customer experience (CX) strategy.
Live chat also allows you to adapt to your customer’s needs by anticipating questions and issues, while being ready to give helpful answers quickly. A live chat specialist can help:
- By being familiar with your FAQs
- Convert browsers to buyers
- Offer real-time support for any website issues
Making any transaction seamless and smooth for your customer helps win the business and keep folks coming back for more.
Reduce support costs (work smarter, not harder).
Without benefits or training, the average salary for an in-house receptionist is $36,000. When you figure in a standard 40-hour workweek, you can see quickly that a chat service that gives you 24/7 live chat capability is a huge value. The best ones:
- Ease the demands of providing customer service yourself
- Are highly-trained in the art of sounding human
- Reduce your daily distractions
Not only is a live chat service a great value financially, but it also saves you time and lets you focus on your business.
Improve website conversions.
A better customer service experience converts callers into customers and retains them, building long-term value as a whole. It really is that simple! Live chat agents help establish a friendly and informative rapport by:
- Clearing up any questions about product and features
- Explaining pricing structure and incentives
- Help connect callers to the experts they need
The personal touch goes a long way to setting expectations and service standards making true and lasting connections for your business.
Overcome sales objections.
So, what does this all mean for your bottom line? Live chat offers a personal, professional, and warm experience for your customers. It allows you to focus on growing and developing your business. And, it delivers great value through always-on, always-available support, around the clock. Basically, you can grow your business while you sleep. How awesome is that?!
But what about the real-life numbers? Let’s take a look. Live chat gives:
- 2.4 times greater annual increase in cross-sell and up-sell revenue
- 2.6 times greater annual decrease in customer care costs
- 20% greater annual improvement in customer contact abandonment rate
Add in what we know about many customers’ preferred method of contact and the overall satisfaction with live chat experiences, and the benefits keep piling up!
Gain more business with Ruby’s live chat services!
Live chat is popular, and it’s quickly becoming the new standard for customer contact and on-going care. It leads the way in customer satisfaction and gives personal and professional care to the people who rely on your business. And, Ruby makes it super easy and cost-effective to have you covered.
Our team of chat specialists is ready to engage with your website visitors, offer them support and answer questions, connect them with a call right to your business line, gather valuable data, and help you generate new leads. And the best part is, you can depend on us to be there 24/7/365.
Interested in learning more about live chat? Download our guide to website chat to get the full scoop!
