We all know the value of Customer Relationships… and if not, we will quickly learn it the hard way when we see the decline in customers and an increase in complaints.
Being able to easily communicate with a business online whether the service is focused there or not is vital to the success of businesses young and old. Millennials are seeking different ways to express themselves when it comes to either their astounding joy or blatant feedback. Traditionally a customer would expect to have to go into a business, make a phone call or send an email to get assistance, but now many businesses are looking for alternatives. Wanting quick answers, in recent years the popularity of live customer support chats on websites has grown significantly. Waiting hours or days after submitting a contact us form will not suffice for these customers, who seek solutions in the now at times often outside of traditional business hours. Although not for every business, live chats do bring a new kind of attention to users in internet entrepreneurship.
An example of live chat can often be seen with online software services, such as GLIDR. I have used GLIDR the past few months for managing a class business startup and every time you login there is an easy to access chat box in the corner of the screen allowing you to message them with any issues or feedback that you may have. Personalized with the members of their team as responders, it adds great credibility and value to a customer who now can receive help faster than traditional methods in a way similar to the process of sending a text from your phone.More
Companies seeking to better interact with their customers that embrace this opportunity will benefit in the long run – so why continue to put this change on hold… hasn’t your customer been waiting long enough?
Personally, I’m not a fan of live chat services. Not only is it even more difficult to tell if you are dealing with a robot or not, but they are often less able to help than someone you reach over the phone. Generally I prefer to figure out what I need to know on my own, but even if I need help, I’m probably still going to avoid live chat.
Communication with customers is crucial. Sometimes customers can’t find the answer on your website and if you have something like a chat plugin they may stay on your website if you answer quickly. Customer service is crucial for business success.
Small talk and soft skills are incredibly important. Being able to communicate clearly and comfortable with customers is everything and plays such a big role in the result.
I can see the benefit of a live chat. It is very important to have some form of quick access communication on your site. Customers often seek instant gratification and waiting for a response often times will leave a bad taste in their mouths. In this case, I feel that the live chat is a major benefit to a site.
Communication is definitely an evolving subject. I think that the overall theme to keep in mind is that you should be utilizing the tools of communication that most effectively reaches the audience of your choice. If they’re a younger audience then using social media, etc. is a great choice, however for older audiences, channels such as email or phone calls would be appropriate.