Customers have begun choosing live chat as their preferred customer service contact method. Live chat has been available for decades, but in today’s technological age, it is surpassing other forms of communication. In 2021, customers prefer chatting with a live customer service agent over calling, emailing, and social media.
Live chat offers customers a quick, convenient and effective way to ask questions about products, tech support, and account inquiries. While all other methods of contact are still used, live chat has overtaken them as customers’ preferred contact method for their customer service needs.
Live Chat Meets Customer Needs
Statistics show that 75 percent of customers prefer live chat over other customer service contact methods like phone calls, emails, and social media. All of these other contact methods are still widely used in the customer service world. However, chatting live with a customer service agent offers customers benefits that other means of contact do not.
- Customers can multitask while on a live chat.
- Agents are there solely to help, so the customer’s issue is their only priority.
- Customers who do not like talking on the phone feel at ease with live chat.
Additionally, customers prefer live chat over chatbots powered by artificial intelligence. A human agent can have a conversation and make the customer feel heard. Although there are no voices, the human component is important to customers who choose live chat.
Customers Prefer Quick Solutions
People in the modern world expect quick, simple interactions. Live chat offers both fast and easy customer service solutions. The average wait time for a live chat response is two minutes.
- Live chat is faster than social media, which varies in response time and is usually unreliable.
- Live chat is much faster than email, which usually takes one to two business days for a response.
- Live chat is faster than a phone call, which usually requires the caller to wait on hold for several minutes.
Customers also value quality along with speed. Therefore, customers are willing to be patient in exchange for high-quality customer support. Well-thought-out solutions are more important to live chat customers than instant responses. This is especially true because customers can switch between tabs online while a live agent solves their problem. Live chat sessions typically do not last more than 10 minutes.
Customers Are Satisfied with Live Chat Experiences
Customer satisfaction is vital for any business. Customers are more satisfied on average with their live chat customer service experiences than with any other contact method. Statistics show the customer satisfaction rates are as follows:
- 73% of customers are satisfied with live chat support experiences
- 61% of customers are satisfied with email support experiences
- 44% of customers are satisfied with phone support experiences
A customer’s experience with customer service plays a major role in their decision to do business with a company. If customers prefer to use live chat for support, they are more likely to use companies that offer live chat as an option. Furthermore, many customers today expect companies to provide live chat by default when visiting business websites.
Live Chat Is Necessary for Successful Customer Service
Live chat improves a business’s revenue outlook. Customers are more likely to purchase items online when a company has a live chat customer service option. Shoppers often have questions during the shopping or checkout process. Simply having a live chat box available to customers greatly improves a business’s conversion rate.
Additionally, businesses can tailor their live chat to their needs by including specific features.
- Include localization to serve customers who speak different languages.
- Choose a 24/7 live chat option to serve customers at all times.
- Offer a downloadable chat transcript so customers can reference their chat later.
Surprisingly, only a small minority of businesses currently utilize live chat on their websites. Live chat is only going to grow in popularity in the coming years. Customer phone support will likely continue to decrease in favor of live chat options. Businesses should take advantage of live chat options to stay ahead of customer needs.
About Ansafone Contact Centers
Ansafone Contact Centers is an award-winning BPO provider with 50 years of world-class customer experience and brand care. We are a national call center with omnichannel services, fully equipped to help you with your business and with any special circumstances.
Please request a quote or call 800-510-0514 to learn more about our custom solutions for creating exceptional customer service experiences for your clients. We’re happy to offer insight into what your customers seek from your company’s language offerings and tailored customer solutions.
