Many factors will contribute to your success online, but one of the most pivotal aspects of any thriving business is customer service. 90% of Americans weigh customer service heavily when choosing a company’s products or services.
Live chat has been giving businesses–like yours–a leg up in customer service in the digital era. To that point, 52% of customers prefer companies with live chat support. Furthermore, 51% of online consumers say they’re more likely to buy online from a brand with live chat.
Read on as we offer tips for improving your janitorial supply company’s customer service with live chat:
The Importance Of The Human Touch.
You might be using live chat support for added customer convenience. However, it can (when misused) create a stifling boundary between support staff and customers. Thus, honing your human touch in these interactions is vital so prospective shoppers don’t feel ignored or like they’re just another number.
Remember that online chats remain chats. It’s two people talking. It’s not a formal business email or a legal notice.
Your reps must converse with customers as they would on the phone or in person. They must always ask themselves, “Would I say this in an everyday conversation?”
Now, imagine an online lender’s live chat support said this if your janitorial supply company was inquiring about a business loan:
“Please provide us with an updated revenue report to aid us in assessing your finances and eligibility for a business loan.”
This gets the information across, undoubtedly. However, it’s stiff and stilted. People don’t talk like this. Instead, the live chat support from this online lender should read like this:
“Could you send us an updated revenue report, please?”
It’s more succinct and to the point. More importantly, it’s efficient. Typing in a chat should be like talking–not like you’re writing a dissertation.
Take Accountability With Active Writing.
Paramount to all successful customer service departments is the ability to take accountability.
Say a customer calls you telling you their mop heads disintegrated as soon as they opened the package, and the chat response is, “There was an error in manufacturing. This problem is a priority.” This is passive, and it doesn’t use any personal pronouns.
Conversely, if you respond, "I apologize for this manufacturing error–I’ll be in touch with you within the next fifteen minutes with a solution.”
The representative uses verbs and a personal pronoun to show the customer is a top priority and that they take accountability (I). Your rep also refers directly to the customer (you).
Also, the rep in our "good" example tells the customer the action they’ll take instead of vaguely stating, “This is a priority.”
That’s the end of part one–stay tuned for part two. Or, contact IDMI.net to learn more about other digital approaches that can drive your business success.