Live chat is developing a penchant among customers. It is booming as the most popular customer support channel. It was found that “ in Q1 2015, live chat led all other channels in customer satisfaction at 92%.”
Live chat is a means of providing immediate online customer support to the visitors browsing at the website. Rather than following a complexed phone tree, the customers can avail the answers at their comfort level and from their comfort zone – often during a crucial period when they are foreseeing to make a purchase.
There are two types of live chat.
Proactive vs reactive live chat
Reactive live chat is to occur when the “chat now” button on the website exists in a dormant state until it is brought to life by the customer clicking on it. Here it is the visitor or the existing customer at your website who is required to initiate the chat.
Reactive chat can be considered as going to a store and browsing. The sales associate is very much visible in the store and also ready to help, all you require is to ask. A ratio will ask for help, while the rest will simply leave the store.
The next is Proactive. This is a bit more complex, using time analogy and here the chat is initiated by the chat agent on behalf of the business. Here you can see a chat window popping up by itself.
This is generally when the customer executive approaches you at the right time to answer your queries. It is more strategic and aggressive.
People generally appreciate proactive live chat!
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