Live chats are perfect for customers that do not like to talk on the phone, have questions after hours, or are just too busy to reach out any other way. More and more companies are utilizing live chat features like SnapEngage on their websites to help increase sales. If your business is looking to chat with customers that are browsing your website, below are some expert tips follow.
Have Information Prepared
Before you log into your live chat program, make sure that all necessary information is accessible. If you have notes prepared regarding potential questions, you won’t have to spend time looking for the answer! Some things that you may want to include are important contact information, an FAQ with commonly asked questions and even a link to Google Maps just in case someone is asking for directions to your business. You should also have your website up in a separate window so you can answer any questions regarding where to find specific information.
Turn on Notifications
Once you are signed in to your live chat service, go into settings, and turn on notifications. Since you are probably not going to want to stare at your screen for hours, having notifications enabled will allow you to do other tasks while waiting for someone to ask a question. If your notifications include sound, you may want to turn up your volume so that you are sure to be alerted.
Want to leave your computer while still utilizing the live chat? Don’t worry, many services, including SnapEngage, have a mobile app that you can download straight to your phone or tablet. This is beneficial for people that are always on the go and don’t want to stay in their home or office while monitoring their website.
Don’t Wait, Communicate
When you finally get a person utilizing your live chat feature, don’t wait to respond. You want to stop what you are doing (unless there is an emergency), and reply to your customer. If you know that you are going to be doing something that will make it difficult to answer in a timely fashion, such as driving, turn off your live chat or have a co-worker manage it. People will be a lot more understanding if they see that the live chat is closed as opposed to typing a message and not receiving a response.
Inside Tip: You may be able to set up an automated response to initial messages. Creating an automated response such as, “Thank you for chatting! I will be with you in just a moment,” will buy you some time to respond.
Be Polite, Professional, and Understanding
When people use your live chat feature, it’s most likely not because they are bored and want to talk, (I say MOSTLY because you may find one or two people just chatting to test out the feature). The majority of your live chats will be because of an issue or a serious question that needs an immediate response.
When responding to live chats, always remember to be polite, professional and understanding. If someone had a negative experience with your company, apologize and make it apparent that you are here to help. They may be upset or lose their patience; however, if you stay calm and act professionally, you may be able to turn a negative experience into a positive one.
Get Your Customer’s Contact Information
Let’s be honest, you are not going to have every answer at your fingertips. If you need to do further research on a particular topic, get the person’s contact information. You also want to tell the customer that you are going to look into the situation further and that you will contact them as soon as possible.
Important Note: It’s better to get contact information and provide the right information than to guess and give the wrong answer! Being inconsistent makes your business look bad and will anger customers more.
Install a Live Chat on Your Website Today
Remember, every chat is a little different! You may not be able to prepare for every message you may receive; but if you follow these five tips, you can operate a successful live chat feature that your customers will love. Want to learn more about how a brand can benefit from live chats? Take a look at our case study!