Chat software has become an integral part of any business, regardless of its industry. The ability to chat with customers or other employees has become a staple in the office environment.
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Now, many customers prefer to reach out to support through chat. Remote work in particular has also emphasized the need for quality chat software. Finding an answer from an employee on the other side of the country is quick and simple through the business chat platform. Technology-driven business chat software helps companies streamline workflows and improve the customer experience.
What is business chat software?
Business chat software is a program designed to allow agents to chat with customers and coworkers online. Customers can generally initiate webchat when visiting a company website. They are then routed to an available chat agent who can provide the support they need. In the contact center world, business chat can be used straight from call center software to communicate with other agents.
Benefits of chat software in the call center
Chat software brings numerous advantages for both agents and customers. For example, chat software can help reduce heavy call volume by providing customers with the ability to self-service. They can find out account information or find answers to frequently asked questions. This removes the need for those with simpler requests to speak with a live agent. Customers with more urgent requests are then prioritized and get the help they need much faster.
The ability to help customers 24/7 is now possible through chat. Pre-programmed bots can engage in natural conversation with customers who reach out via webchat. They can do anything from answering FAQs, update account information, or even provide tracking information. These self-service capabilities enhance the customer experience by empowering them with the information they need right at their fingertips.
In addition to on-demand assistance, chat also eliminates the need for customers to wait in long call queues to get help for a simple question. Busy individuals may find it frustrating listening to ongoing hold music when they have other things to work on. Even if the chat queue takes several minutes, customers can receive a sound notification when an agent pops up. This allows them time to focus on finishing other tasks.
Advanced business chat software
Platforms such as the LiveVox omnichannel call center software integrate advanced technology into their web chat capabilities. Highly-customizable chat software brings big benefits such as personalized interactions with customers. Companies can configure web chat prompts to appear on specific website pages to help navigate customers who may have questions about what they are reading. Customers can also initiate webchat on their own. Chatbots can verify account information and engage users based on their account profiles.
Companies can also tailor LiveVox chatbots to their specific needs through pre-programmed messaging. Canned messages are an efficient way to answer generic, frequently asked questions. In addition, the integrative capabilities that the LiveVox chat software presents allow it to work seamlessly with other programs, such as the CRM. When customers request information or have questions specific to their account, the LiveVox chat software can obtain data from the CRM.
Agents have access to chat transcripts, chat history, and customer information within the LiveVox chat tool. When a client request comes in, agents can review their entire history such as times they’ve called in or who they communicated with in the past. This increases efficiency for agents because they do not have to waste time switching between windows while having a customer waiting for them to finish.
Omnichannel integration is key for digital transformation
Omnichannel capabilities are another advanced feature of the LiveVox web chat feature. When customers chat in, agents not only see their chat history, but their full account profile. This includes all previous conversations through other channels of communication, ensuring that agents don’t miss a single detail. The customer journey is enhanced as agents are quickly able to get a holistic view of their account and help them find the solutions they need.
Intelligent routing capabilities ensure that every customer is sent to the correct agent. Through webchat, customers can indicate the type of assistance they need. Canned messages with links to the right agents are triggered by certain keywords.
For example, if a customer types in, “When is my bill due,” webchat bots can be customized to either provide the info after verification or route an available billing agent to the chat. This enhances the customer journey as it saves them time by avoiding getting transferred to the wrong agent. Customers become frustrated when they must repeat themselves over and over, hurting their overall experience.
The chat software that your company chooses can quickly close gaps in contact center operational workflows. Through its ease of use, wide compatibility, and customer-centric features, the LiveVox business chat tool easily fills in those needs. Request a LiveVox demo to learn more about the LiveVox way and other technology-driven solutions for the call center by clicking here.