Live chat support services are increasingly becoming the norm for businesses of all sizes. There are several reasons why your business should consider outsourcing this function. In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of using a chat support service, the costs involved, and the different types of services available. Additionally, we’ll discuss other outsourcing options available for your company. After reading the following, you’ll be better equipped to decide whether this option is suitable for your company.
Benefits of live chat support
Live chat support services are one of the most effective ways to improve customer satisfaction. The service can be applied strategically to certain pages and inactive visitors of your website. Compared to email, customers are three times more likely to purchase a product when they can chat with someone immediately. In addition, live chat can improve a company’s customer service by boosting confidence. It has also been found that 90% of consumers are willing to spend more money if a company provides excellent customer service. While offering a live chat support service around the clock is challenging, outsourcing can go a long way for a business.
With live chat support, customers can talk with a live agent who can answer their queries and provide immediate assistance. Live chat support services can also help retailers with returns and software providers with installation issues. In addition, they can help a company deliver excellent customer service through these services. While live chat support services are a perfect way to improve customer service, there are also a few drawbacks. First, live chat support services cost more than a standard email service, so that the benefits can be significant.
Live chat is fast, flexible, and user-friendly. This is important for customer loyalty and brand affinity. More than eighty percent of American consumers prefer live chat over email. And since 81% of American consumers own smartphones, they spend an average of 24 minutes daily using messaging applications. Customers expect seamless experiences with brands, and businesses must be able to provide these. Thankfully, live chat supports this goal.
Costs
The benefits of chat support outweigh the costs associated with this technology. It allows customers to interact instantly with a company’s support team without needing a live agent. The two parties can multitask during the conversation. Chat support also helps companies reduce costs and improve the customer experience. Chat support is more efficient than phone calls because a single agent can handle multiple chats simultaneously. But before you hire chat support services, you need to understand the costs involved.
LivePerson Inc. is a real-time customer service platform with a client roster that includes EarthLink Inc. It charges between $10,000 and $11,000 for a one to 20-seat license. This consists of the cost of analytics tools that help clients track how long each chat session takes and how many sales are generated. The company’s CEO, Rob LoCascio, claims that companies using chat support have a 20% conversion rate.
LiveAgent has a range of chat features and charges based on the number of agents that are staffed at any given time. LiveAgent also has advanced team management tools and features, such as chatbots. Its pricing depends on how many agents you hire, but it starts at $15/month for one agent. LiveAgent has several benefits, including a simple setup, integration with other tools, and strong team productivity.
Outsourcing options
If your company has outsourced its chat support, you may be wondering which chat support outsourcing options you should consider. While it is possible to outsource this support to a third party, you can cut costs by using a lower-cost country. Most chat support outsourcing services will cost you about $15-60 per agent monthly. If you can find such a provider, you can save more than half of that cost by outsourcing your customer support.
A few companies choose to outsource live chat to another country. This option may be more cost-effective for businesses operating in different time zones. However, it may not be cost-effective for companies operating in a single time zone. For instance, businesses closed during the day might benefit from a 24-hour live chat solution. Additionally, this option relieves the strain on your current employees. In addition, you don’t need to hire new live chat employees and train them to answer customers’ questions.
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