There’s no question that live chat is a robust channel for customer engagement and resolution. Besides training staff to handle each contact in a professional and personable manner, it’s important to consider that some common interactions may benefit from pre-written scripts designed for rapid answers. For example, a live chat quick response may be appropriate if it’s a simple question about return policies, bill payment methods or refunds. During a session, it’s vital to give agents access to a bank of these responses to aid them in speedy yet complete resolution.
Ready When Your Agents Are
A “canned response” is a short script written ahead of time with enough details to assist the customer with an inquiry. If a live chat platform supports an in-application database of these scripts, this is especially useful. With some simple navigation, representatives can import the text into their chat sessions. Shorting response times and reducing the probability of errors and typos are just a couple of the benefits.
Know When to Use Them
A mix of personal interaction with a live chat quick response is ideal. The experience is still built around the needs of the client, while offering the benefits of speed and accuracy to both customer and representative. Then, live chat support becomes a powerful resource and medium, and is best positioned to serve customers. When drafting your pre-written scripts, craft greetings to be short, simple and professional. Also, include some appropriate replies for common situations, such as:
- Finding more information
- Admitting a mistake — and offering to correct it
- Telling a customer that he or she is unable to comply with the request and
- Involving other staff to obtain a resolution.
Also, draft text to address typically questions — for example, items that might be found in a business’ frequently asked questions (FAQ) file. Don’t forget that a simple yet cordial wrap-up is also needed. Ideally, the text should encourage the client to reach out to the company again if additional support is required.
A Bit of Discretion
It’s vital for agents to understand appropriate scenarios in which a live chat quick response should be used. Everyday questions are fine, but for more complex situations, it’s best to rely on more customized personal responses. Not everything can be handled with a scripted reply, and it’s important for representatives to remember this. Live chat support is one of the most powerful tools in a contact center. In addition to providing a speedy and convenient channel for customers to reach a business, it’s also an opportunity to build rapport with them. As one of the many resources in web chat, canned responses are key time-saving items that add to positive customer-business relationships.
This blog was first published on LinkedIn.
