Live Chat Best Practices for Sales & Customer Service
Blog post from Stream
Live chat is becoming an increasingly preferred method for customer support due to its efficiency and ability to keep customers engaged on the platform, as opposed to the traditional phone call which includes formalities and lengthy wait times. It is essential for live chat to be easily accessible with clear visual cues and a straightforward "Chat" label, ensuring users can quickly find and initiate a conversation. Proper implementation of live chat can deliver a helpful human experience, but businesses must avoid common pitfalls that can lead to frustrating user experiences. Features like typing indicators, read receipts, and the ability to send media and attachments enhance user engagement, while chat interfaces should be visually differentiated and customizable to match the brand. Additionally, companies should ensure adequate staffing and training for chat agents, and approach chatbot integration with transparency and simplicity, using them primarily for form fills and basic information gathering. Proactive chat should be used tactfully to increase user engagement without being intrusive. Examples of effective live chat implementations include DreamHost, GrubHub for Work, and Expensify, all of which provide efficient and user-friendly chat experiences.