The Value of Your Customer Service

Standing out in a fast-paced, competitive industry has quickly become an ongoing challenge for most small to medium business owners. Gaining the competitive edge is about more than having quality products or sales tactics. Business owners must now stay on top of the continual developments in technology, industry trends, and insights. Gone are the days where one-size-fits-all marketing campaigns are effective.

In most instances, business owners are dealing with a variety of consumer groups, each with their own needs and outlooks. Although exceptional customer service is a great way to stand out, it is also one of the most challenging.

Customer Service Is No Longer Just Customer Service

The term “good service” means something different to each customer. Business owners must adapt to the consumers’ vision of what constitutes ‘good customer service in order to deliver on service expectations.

In addition, businesses need to take into consideration that e-commerce continues to grow at a rate of 23% annually. 51% of consumers prefer online shopping while the remaining 49% prefer the traditional hands-on approach of physically visiting the store. The challenge here is that one-on-one customer service has to extend to all your customer platforms. (1)

The Evolving Consumer

Consumers and technology continue to evolve and business owners must find ways to adapt. The continuous developments in consumer profiles, technology, and trends, all mean that business owners constantly having to reevaluate business plans. (2) Social Media has also posed a challenge for business owners, but also represents a number of opportunities, considering there are over 2.300 billion active social media users globally (3). Customers want to be valued and heard, and with technology, each and every consumer now has a voice.

“The future of communicating with customers rests in engaging with them through every possible channel: phone, e-mail, chat, Web, and social networks. Customers are discussing a company’s products and brand in real time. Companies need to join the conversation.” Marc Benioff, Co-Founder, and CEO of salesforce.com. (4)

How Live Chat Can Help Your Business

With the continuous evolution of technology, smart service is something that majority of consumers expect. 42% of customers indicate using live online chat feature as their preferred method of contact while statistics go on to show that online satisfaction is highest among customers who make use of Live Chat Services.

The overall experience with Live Chat is quick, simple and effective. It represents a customer service and support tool for consumers making use of your website and services at their own convenience. There are no delays, no waiting for answers or information. Customers can find out what they need to know and proceed to the checkout. Live chat, in addition to being efficient, is also an effective way to extend the one-on-one sales experience to e-commerce consumers. (5) Live chat continues to grow in popularity.

This platform of customer service and support is more particularly, popular among Millennials who want convenience and instant service. (6)

What Can Live Chat Do For Your Business?

“As a team of only 3, I would receive calls and emails whilst we were attending jobs on site. If I wasn’t quick enough to answer their inquiries, the Customer would normally walk away which ultimately hurt the sustainability of my business. With Blue Sky Chat’s SMS service, every time a new lead comes through, the customer is assisted immediately and I received an e-mail and SMS with their details. It is really convenient and I can reply to the Customer when the job on site is finished”.” Ian Felligan, Owner of BondiComputerGuy.com (7)

With Live chat, your business is available and represented 24/7. You never have to miss a call again. The agents are trained to answer questions about your products and services, as well as to generate sales leads. A poll by Anderson Consulting shows that almost 62 percent of online consumers would purchase more products online if live chat support was available. Research goes on to show that 77% online shoppers prefer the contact with a real person before making a purchase. (5)

Consumers can choose to engage with the real human agents. The service is not generic and each customer’s needs and expectations are approached on an individual level and with the same importance. Not only does live chat offer you convenience and efficiency. You also have the added benefits of real-time customer support, as well as a 24/7 Virtual Assistant/Receptionist. Recent global trends have seen more companies utilizing Live Chat services as a tool to improve their conversion rates. Statistics go on to show that: (8)

61% of website visitors choosing to make use of chat services for information and queries over traditional methods
44% of online consumers saying that one of the most important features companies can offer is having a live chat specialist available during the online transaction
63% of consumers choosing to return to a website with the live chat feature

Live chat is one of the most cost-effective ways to maximize your business potential whilst reducing overheads. With Live chat services, you can lead your customer to the end of the ‘check out’ process while also delivering a one-on-one sales experience.

Live Chat is about more than having someone answer a question. It is about staying informed of your customers’ needs and expectations. Furthermore, you have access to analytic data on your brand and image in real time. You spent money on creating your webpage, why not use it to its maximum potential? (9)

The Value Of Customer Service

The Value of Your Customer Service

Customer Service Is No Longer Just Customer Service

The Evolving Consumer

How Live Chat Can Help Your Business

What Can Live Chat Do For Your Business?