Webchat for Customer Service: Helping Customers Find Their Way
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE / 12 Jun 2023
To stand out from the crowd, companies can’t just provide a good offering, but they have to back it up with exceptional customer service.
While traditional customer service channels like the phone and email have their strong points, there's a player in town that's making its mark – webchat – a website-based customer communication interface powered by chatbots, with agents standing by if needed. (See: What is Webchat?)
Let's discover why webchat is a must-have customer service tool for businesses who want to thrive in this digital-focused world.
The Silent Struggle: When Webchat is Absent
Imagine a bustling store with customers looking for assistance. Amidst the commotion, there's a distinct absence of staff members ready to lend a helping hand. Frustrated customers wander, searching for answers. This scenario mirrors the plight of companies without webchat when their customers go online looking for support.
Lost Opportunities for Customer Engagement
Without webchat, businesses risk losing valuable customer interactions, and opportunities to provide great service are missed. These visitors may feel discouraged and will likely leave with a negative perception. A missed chance to connect can damage a company's reputation, striking a blow to customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Frustrated Customers Will Seek Help Elsewhere
Just as boat adrift at sea looks for a lighthouse, customers stranded without an easy way to contact a company feel lost. If left unattended, their frustration grows, pushing them towards competitors who have embraced the power of webchat.
A Personal Guide for Customers
Now let's look closer at the benefits webchat offers. Webchat is like a knowledgeable guide lighting the way for customers. With webchat, customers receive immediate support, eliminating the need to wait on hold or anxiously anticipate an email response.
Real-time help gives customers a sense of importance and fosters a deeper connection with the brand. Promptly addressing their concerns can turn a casual customer into a loyal advocate.
What are the advantages of using online webchat for customer service?
Webchat offers a convenient way to ask questions, seek solutions, and receive swift replies from chatbots and agents. Customer service with webchat offers:
Quick response times
An easy way for customers to contact businesses
24/7 availability (when powered by chatbots)
A record of conversations
Ability to chat from anywhere with an internet connection
Personalised conversations and help
In many cases, online webchat apps allow you to attach files to help the customer support agent better understand and resolve queries.
Webchat bots take care of the bulk of a conversation which allows agents to handle multiple enquiries simultaneously (about 3-5 at once). By efficiently managing chats, companies can bump up productivity and reduce customer wait times.
A record of chats for future reference
Having a record of customer chats has the added bonus of helping agents and managers review customer conversations, which is a powerful tool for training, quality assurance, and maintaining a service history.
All in all, webchat proves to be a valuable communication channel for businesses committed to delivering exceptional customer service.
The Difference Conversational AI Makes to Webchat
When webchat widgets first started to appear on websites, they were built on a basic decision-tree structure that consisted of yes/no answers and button clicks. But now, by incorporating conversational AI into the webchat bot, customers can have authentic sounding and more fruitful conversations. And on top of that, API connections bring in accurate and up-to-date customer data that resolves queries on the spot.
