In the old days an 800 number was absolutely essential for any nationwide sales team. The consumer came to rely on the toll-free number as a way to reach out to a company to ask question or place an order, while avoiding high long distance charges. Now, a new kind of communications platform is rising in popularity. The live chat, like the toll free number, is helping increase customer contact options. But the live chat option has a few advantages over a phone call.
Here are some reasons every company should have a live chat operation:
- People at work may not be able to talk on the phone, but they can often use their computers to live chat. This will allow them to contact your company when they have the initial impulse to do so, instead of having to wait until later.
- Live chat provides a transcript of the conversation which can be saved by your company and the customer. This can reduce the customer’s need to call in again to request the same information. Also, it ensures your company will capture the potential client’s vital information such as name, email, and phone number.
- Live chat operators can be offshore, and therefore costs less. Unlike phone operators which may have a distinct accent, offshore live chat operators suffer no disadvantage as compared to American workers doing the same job.
- Offering a continually staffed live chat service on your website shows that your company is professional and responsive.
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