Automation is great for customer service, from speeding up live chat interactions to auto replying to customer emails, but agents need to be personal.
Pre-defined replies (canned responses) can arm any representatives with the answers they need even if they didn’t necessarily have the knowledge, your customer does not need to know about this little secret.
Most live chat providers will allow businesses to modify their pre-defined replies, allowing them to customise every answer to a top quality standard that customers come to expect from that business, leaving them with high levels of satisfaction from their live chat and going on to make that conversion.
Listen to the Experts
Whilst automation can speed up and improve service, there is a fine line before overdoing it. Using too many scripted pre-defined replies can take away the personal touches from a conversation, businesses should use the replies to assist representatives with speed and accuracy but still give them the freedom to add sincerity.
Representatives should use their brains and ensure they are using the right reply for the conversation; we have all had a conversation whether in person, by email, over the phone or even by live chat, where the representative just focused on one of the things mentioned rather than the whole situation and now as a customer you are having to try and re-explain. A little something like this:
Representative: Hi, how can I help you today?
Customer: Hi, I am on contract with you, could you let me know when the end of my contract is please?
Representative: I will just need you to answer a few security questions before I look into your account, can you confirm your name, postcode and the 1st 3rd and 6th letter of your password.
Customer: <gives over information>
Representative: <uses predefined reply associated with end of contracts> You will be able to upgrade your contract at the end of the annual billing period. For £112 you can refresh your contract and upgrade your phone.
Does This Sound Familiar?
Representatives that spam predefined replies and/or use ones based on certain keywords rather than reading into what the customer is really looking for, run the risk of sounding like a zombie and frustrating the customer as they don’t seem to be using their brains.
Just because live chat is digital doesn’t mean representatives should lose their human touch, each answer should be personal and aimed to resolve customer queries on first contact.
Getting the Most from Live Chat Solutions
Businesses using live chat should also analyze their chats regularly, this allows them to see how their representatives are using pre-defined replies and if more training is needed or whether the replies need updating to make them as efficient as possible. The best live chat providers will help businesses to get the greatest potential from their accounts, including setting up and tuning the predefined replies.
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