A chat box with a live representative is an immensely convenient way of communication with website users. According to statistics, for more than 70 percent of customers, live chat is “the most satisfactory form of communication with a company” (99Content, 2021, para. 10). What is more, customers who use a chat box with a live representative tend to “spend up to 60% more per purchase” in comparison with those who do not (99Content, 2021, para. 13). Therefore, the company should invest in improving the quality of the chat box because it will help increase profits.
The critical idea of any chat box, be it with a live representative or artificial intelligence, is quick responses to the clients questions. Currently, the average response time on the website is about five minutes. Even though it is faster than calling or writing e-mails to the company, it is not fast enough for the chat box. One of the ways to decrease the average response waiting time is to collect the most frequently asked questions and develop pre-written responses for them. Besides, live representatives could be combined with artificial intelligence and answer only non-general questions requiring human interaction. Another idea on how to technically advance the chat box is to install a pre-chat questionnaire. Such a questionnaire should be kept as simple as possible and contain multiple-choice questions on what the customer will ask. After a person completes the questionnaire, he or she could either receive a pre-answered response because the question is a standard one or get contact with a specialist.
To conclude the recommendation on the technical advancement of the website, a pre-chat questionnaire and pre-answered questions will minimize the workload of the real consultants. Consequently, live company representatives will have more time to answer clients non-general questions and reduce response waiting time. As it has already been mentioned above, chat boxes are effective tools for interacting with clients and increasing profits. Therefore, it is highly recommended not to neglect the provided recommendations.
References
99Content (2021). Live Chat Statistics.99Firms.