There is a trend that is much needed involving online self-service. This includes offering live chat or other interactive means for consumers to get the help they need without having to call or email a company. Because we live in a multifaceted customer service world, its a necessity to companies who need to streamline operations while offering consumers the best experience possible.
Below is an infographic on the top online customer service myths, which was created by Synthetix, a multi-channel customer service company based out of Cambridge, England. They took a look at popular myths and offered some interesting insight. Since consumers readily share the fact that the expect the same level of service no matter what channel they’re using, this is a timely study to enforce the need for companies to rethink their online customer service strategy.
Some key takeaways include:
- Online customer service frees up agents: this study shows that when companies offer self-service channels on their site, it can reduce the number of calls by 25% and the number of emails by 50%. While this may seem like it will reduce the need for live agents, it is actually the opposite. These results show that by adding self-serve or online chat to handle the more common inquiries and situations, it frees up agents to handle more complex customer needs, while reducing overall wait time to speak to someone or get an email response. The great news is that customers are getting what they need more quickly and efficiently in these instances.
- Live chat can fill the gaps in your website: this study revealed that 72% of respondents turn to a company’s website for information, while only 52.4% get the information they need. As almost half will abandon their cart if they cannot find the answers they are looking for, incorporating self-service options and/or live chat can go a long way in helping where your web content cannot.
- Live chat can save a sale: consumers in the middle of an online purchase may go elsewhere if they are having trouble and need assistance right away; unfortunately, consumers expect immediate assistance, and if they are in the middle of making a purchase, they may not want to wait for a response via email or telephone. 38% of respondents in this study state that live chat has saved the purchase for them – had it not been available, they may have abadonded their purchase.
You can view the infographic below to see more results (click on the infographic to open a larger version of the image), but the key takeaways show that if your company has not focused on live chat and other self-service options for your consumers, you may be missing out.
