5 Common Live Web Chat Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Five key mistakes when you implement webchat
Implementing live web chat on your business website can be a highly effective way to boost your customer service and support lead generation. However, the key to success is in the correct execution and operation - and all too often, organisations fall short by falling into some common functionality traps.
Luckily for you, at TCB we know a thing or two about providing professional and effective live web chat services for a broad range of B2B clients – and we’re always happy to share our knowledge.
In this blog post, we’ll be highlighting the 5 common live web chat mistakes, plus helpful tips on how to avoid them yourself.
So, let’s get stuck right in…
1. Having no sales representatives available
From a customer point of view, there’s nothing more frustrating than seeing the ‘Would you like some help?’ button on a website, clicking to ask for help and immediately getting a message back saying that there’s no one available.
Many organisations state their live web chat provides ‘24/7 customer service’ as technically a person can submit a query at any point of the day. However, this doesn’t really constitute 24-hour coverage when there isn’t anyone there to answer the query. This means customers are still left waiting for a reply and feeling less than satisfied with their customer support experience.
The solution:
To avoid this live web chat faux pas, you have two options.
The first is to man your live web chat platform around the clock. This is only really a viable option if you have constant influxes of queries, day and night. Otherwise, it’s an expensive outlay with poor ROI during slow or ‘no enquiry’ periods.
The second, and more cost-effective option, is to adjust your web chat configuration so that chats with support representatives are only offered when the system is manned.
2. Using auto-translate for multilingual
For global organisations, it can be necessary to offer customer support in multiple languages, which includes live web chat. In some instances, companies enrol staff who don’t have a comprehensive understanding of the target language or use auto-translate tools, which can mean queries are lost in translation and misunderstood.
We’ve had clients share many horror stories about misunderstandings and mistakes that have arisen from using auto-translate, leading to unhappy customers who haven’t had their query resolved and who have lost trust in the organisation.
The solution:
Don’t implement multilingual webchat unless you have a multilingual team. If you must offer support in different languages, look to outsource live web chat services to a third party with a pool of native speakers in your target languages – like TCB. Our global team speak over 20 languages, allowing them to engage with customers in their native language to avoid any misinterpretations and find the quickest possible resolution.
3. Looking too desperate
There’s a fine line between being attentive to customers who visit your website and being too pushy and intrusive. Those websites who jump on every visitor the moment they arrive on the home page will generally alienate customers. In our experience, that approach is annoying, comes across as desperate and is totally counterproductive.
On top of that, this tactic will also cost you more in resources as you need to have a person physically monitoring the site activity constantly.
The solution:
We’d suggest that initially you don’t reach out to visitors but provide a ‘Can we help’ button for them to engage with you when they want to.
You can set the parameters of this function using your system’s templated options. You’ll need to fine-tune the set up on a ‘test and measure’ basis, but we’d suggest you start by offering web chat to visitors who stay on your site for 1 minute or more. Additionally, you can set it so that the ‘Can we help’ button appears for visitors to key pages such as pricing or downloads after they’ve been on the page for 15-20 seconds. Don’t forget repeat visitors too, as they also warrant the offer of help - but again, leave it 15-20 seconds before engaging.
4. Trying to fake it
Site visitors use live web chat as they want a prompt answer to their query, but this doesn’t mean that your team should pretend that they have technical knowledge they don’t, or guess at an answer.
Trying to fake knowledge, will only serve to frustrate the customer as they won’t have the resolution they need, while also potentially damaging the overall brand reputation.
The solution:
Be honest with the customer, and don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know the answer to every technical question yourself. Simply explain that you’ll have to refer them to a colleague and transfer the chat to someone who knows the answer if you’re able to do so.
Alternatively, take their contact details – name, phone number and email address – and let them know you’ll find the answer and reach back out to them shortly. And then ensure that you do so.
5. Demanding too much personal information
One of the main perks of live chat is its ease of use and speed. So, don’t put barriers in the way of engagement. If you ask for too much information to initiate a chat and over complicate the process, you’ll alienate your users - and they’ll either just give you false information or they’ll go to your competitor’s site.
The solution:
Keep your communication simple. To start a chat, only ask for key information, such as first name, email and phone number with the reason of ‘just in case we get disconnected’. Rest assured, if you end up arranging some follow up activity like providing a brochure or costs, they’ll be happy to give you the rest of their contact information.
And if you do get disconnected, you can reach back out with ease. For a customer it can be frustrating, to explain what you need only to get cut off and then be forced to start the process over again. It’s much better customer service to drop them a line if you lose them, so they can re-engage.
Getting more from your web chat platform
Implementing and operating a live web chat platform on your business website can seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. At TCB, we work with a variety of B2B clients, delivering custom web chat support services that are cost effective, user-centric, and professional.
With representatives who can converse naturally in over 20 languages, our global team are on hand to help you boost customer support through a more personalised, human-touch approach to live web chat.
Whether you already use web chat or you’re starting from scratch, get in touch with the TCB team today to discuss your needs in more detail. We’re always happy to offer advice and help put together a solution designed to deliver on your business objectives. Head over to our contact page to find the most convenient way to reach us.
