Monday, February 20, 2012

The Power to Communicate Instantly and Affordably

If you own an online business, you know how important it is to interact with customers in order to convert sales, provide help, and create customer satisfaction. Other than providing the traditional email and phone support, businesses have now the option to offer an outsourced live chat support on their websites.

Websites of big companies are already using outsourced live chat, which just proves how effective it is. Some of these companies include Nike, Accenture, Avon, HP, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, and IBM just to name a few.

Live chat provides a much faster way to engage with customers online in just a click of a button. The best thing about online chat is that it creates real-time communication and customer retention because they won’t have to leave the site.

Unlike with phone interaction, outsourced live chat agents can support multiple chats, which lessen customer hold times.

The only disadvantage of having a chat online is when it’s not properly implemented. Some companies don’t have enough time and staff to handle their chat support because of limited training and resources.

This is where live chat outsourcing comes in.

Outsourcing live chat support gives your business an edge over your competition because outsourcing companies will provide the resources in hiring and training of live chat agents. It’s like having your own staff, but with more time and knowledge of your product, thus giving customers the satisfaction they need.

In deciding where to outsource live chat, it is important to consider having it offshore. Offshore live chat is more affordable because it provides a fraction of the domestic cost.

You can find a lot of companies offering live chat outsourcing online, just make sure that the offshore company has a proven track record in providing outsourced live chat.

Once you have chosen a company, it is important to allocate some time in training the chat agents about your product and keep them always updated of recent developments in your company.

For those who are still skeptical about the effectiveness of having an online live chat on their websites, here are some statistics that will hopefully change your mind:

    61% of conversions are done during the time in which customers chat
    Customers who chat are 4.1 times more likely to convert than non-chatters
    Survey confirms that live chat interactions are very satisfactory to website visitors; average satisfaction score is 4.4 out of 5 scale rating.

It is also important to note that before implementing a live chat support on your website, it is vital to know your target audience. If your company is consumer-oriented, then online live chat will greatly compliment your website. But if you’re in the business-to-business sector, a traditional way of communicating with your customers is recommended.

Live chat outsourcing will greatly help your company if done correctly. Try it out. There is no better way to serve customers than by being there when they need you.

Source: http://www.zylun.com

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Live Chat Support Agent versus Automated Chat Support

Online business is rapidly evolving and companies are finding more ways to attract more customers and make more sales. Having live chat support on a website is one way of getting ahead of competition. Online live chat is getting popular as many giant companies are already using it to strengthen their customer support line.

There are two kinds of chat, the one with live chat support agents and the other one with automated software. The former is composed of real people chatting with customers and the latter using artificial intelligence to answer incoming chats.

Both chat agents are comparable in performance. Still, the live chat support operators have the biggest advantage when it comes to reliability and flexibility.

Listed below are some of the advantages of having online live chat support agents.

  •     They are not prone to breaking down and malfunctioning. When problems occur with automated chat, customers will have to wait until it is fixed.
  •     They are capable of adjusting to different customer concerns compared to artificial software which is only limited to a set of information.
  •     A live chat agent is less expensive because a person does not need regular maintenance and updates.
  •     A live chat agent has a higher success ratio in converting visitors to regular customers.

The challenge with a live chat support operator is to choose the right candidate to handle your product and brand. A well-trained agent will provide great customer satisfaction that will lead to more sales.

One of the best solutions in looking for a live chat agent is to outsource.

Outsourced live chat support agent will give your company more savings as the cost is only a fraction compared to having it in-house.

Live chat outsourcing companies will already provide the training and hiring of the agents. All agents are trained by these companies to know your product and will provide customer support like they are your own staff.

Choose the right company in getting your live chat support agent. Make sure that they already have an experienced in providing live chat outsourcing services to different online businesses.

Source: http://www.zylun.com