Is Web Chat the New Customer Service Standard?

Posted: 3 January 2018

Today’s world is one of instant gratification. We communicate by text and instant messaging. We bank online. We ‘tap and go’ at the supermarket. We’re connected everywhere, all the time, through WiFi and internet data on ever-present mobile phones that have somehow welded themselves to the human body.

Considering the nature of our digital culture today, it’s not hard to see why customers expect instant, easy access to services at all times. We are no longer willing to be queued, waiting to make a standard service request, listening to generic jazz and automated voices saying ‘your call is important to us’. We want attention from real people in real time, ready at our fingertips and twitching text-ready thumbs.

So, how do companies satiate this appetite for the instantaneous? The answer to this problem may be provided by Web Chat technology.

Mimicking the instant messaging of popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Web Chat allows customers to talk to real people, and creates a sense of personalised and attentive service, through the opportunity for quick and efficient communication. The benefits of this technology are well documented, and evidence shows that 68% of Australians are more likely to stay with a company that provides live chat and responds to enquiries quickly. This positivity and loyalty pay dividends, with 52% of companies that utilise Web Chat reporting increased sales.

Of course, as with all technologies, there is an abundance of products to choose from, and picking the right product for your company can be difficult. Here at ipSCAPE, we believe in the use of technology to increase customer satisfaction and provide nimble service technologies that empower your company to increase customer loyalty. What does this look like in a Web Chat?

Visible and Searchable Web Chat History

Nothing is more important than being able to track interactions with customers and access them easily. The ability to search any Web Chat for conversations allows for greater accountability, measurement of service quality, and documentation of interactions. It means that your service agents can manage interactions with customers smoothly.

I’ll give you an example from a recent experience I had with a major company’s customer support.

I recently contacted customer support after a promotional code was not added to my order, resulting in me being charged with costs I was assured would be removed.

So, naturally, I contacted their service team. Everything seemed fine at first. I was sorted into a particular category: ‘Using a Promotional Code’. The service agent asked for the code I used, my email, phone number, etc. I expected that this would be the end of the matter.

However, the next response came from a new service agent, who introduced themselves, asked how my day was…then proceeded to ask me the exact same questions as the previous agent. I sighed, relented, passed on the information again.

I thought to myself at this stage: “Surely, this time they will search the order history, see the failed code, and refund my money.”

Unfortunately, I was instead transferred to yet another agent, who asked the same questions again, before telling me my problem was unsolvable and labeling the issue ‘resolved’.

None of this made for a very enjoyable customer experience, and the whole issue stretched on for two weeks.

The issue did not lie in the service agent’s attempts to solve my issue. It lay in the poor service protocol, and lack of searchable conversation threads. While some issues are better sorted through email or phone (usually the more complex issues), a simple issue of this could have easily been resolved through a quick Web Chat with a single individual.

Had this company had the ability to search previous customer interactions and had access to Web Chat services, perhaps this poor experience could have been avoided. There would be no repetitive questions, and instant replies to my query results in real time. This is the power of Web Chat as a service tool.

Real-time results management

Nothing is more important in customer service than results. Interactions with customers need to be fast, efficient, and enjoyable for the customer, and the ultimate result should be customer satisfaction.

A strong Web Chat product will allow your service team to receive real-time analytics on their performance and efficiency, minute by minute. These analytics are important, as they show agents what works and what doesn’t, allowing the company to adapt quickly to consumer demands and provide the best service experience possible.

Wrapping to email or voice call-back

Some customer interactions require more in-depth discussion and time to successfully achieve customer satisfaction. A good Web Chat product will allow your service agents to seamlessly move through communication channels, without losing previous interactions with a particular customer.

This transition may be achieved through the use of wrap codes, which activate email or voice call-backs, preserving previous interactions and allowing the continuation of a service journey to progress with less wait time and no repetitive questions or switching between multiple service agents with no results.

Ultimately, your Web Chat should empower your service agents to provide the best possible interactions with customers and focus on achieving satisfaction in an optimal time.

Does your current service channel provide this?

Click here to take a look at ipSCAPE’s customer Web Chat options.