Live Chat is one of the most used, real-time communication channels for customers to contact businesses. However, interacting with customers through Live Chat differs substantially from talking on the phone or in person, especially when you consider the fact that the other person can’t hear you.
This means that forming a friendly chat could be the defining factor in making your business the best choice in the field for a new customer or driving them to a competitor. Which means that you and your team need to have exceptional customer service chat etiquette going forward.
But if you don’t know what proper live chat etiquette is, don’t worry, we’ve a full list of rules that your receptionists can follow to provide exceptional business live chat etiquette the next time they’re in Live Chat with a customer
1. Hire the right people
First things first, when considering chat etiquette for customer service, you want to be sure that you’re hiring staff that can actually handle a Live Chat function. Using Live Chat requires different skills to a Live Answering Service, and you want to be sure that the receptionist you hire knows what these are.
To start with, strong soft skills are a must for good Live Chat etiquette. While other skills can be trained, having a team of friendly individuals is the key to a strong foundation for establishing your customer service.
Naturally, you can hire your Live Chat receptionists to operate in-house, but if you want to be sure that you’re hiring people who know what they’re doing, then you might want to consider using a Virtual Receptionist from VoiceNation. Experts in this field, they can meet the needs of your customers at all hours of the day.
2. Aim for a good first impression
If you’ve ever used Live Chat yourself, then you’ve probably wondered whether or not you’re talking to an actual person. So, when setting up your Live Chat, it’s important to make it clear to the customer that you’re a real individual and not a robot.
This means making a good first impression when starting conversations with clients. You can do this by offering a proper introduction or greeting that includes your business name, the name of the receptionist they’re interacting with, and a warm, friendly hello!
You also shouldn’t keep your client waiting for a response. Good Live Chat etiquette is focused on starting a conversation promptly and is key to tackling client boredom. If you don’t do this, then a customer is more likely to abandon interactions and go elsewhere.
3. Use proper grammar and language
Excellent grammar is a must-have when engaging with customers on Live Chat and is a cornerstone of customer service chat etiquette. Not only does it make it easier for the customer to understand you, but it makes you seem that much more professional in return.
Bad grammar, on the other hand, may imply that you don’t value customers enough to invest in a quality receptionist. This in turn makes your business look unprofessional. So, for good business Live Chat etiquette, avoid using all caps and impossible-to-understand jargon in your conversations.
4. Be friendly and inviting
When handling Live Chat conversations, it’s important to always have a friendly and understanding tone. After all, being able to keep a positive tone during any conversation is an important part of speaking to a customer.
So, when thinking about chat etiquette for customer service, always aim to convey empathy with a customer’s issue, helping them to feel seen and understood and leading to a much better customer interaction overall.
5. Stick to the topic
Finally, while friendly chitchat in a Live Chat interaction is a great way to provide a little bit of the human touch to your services, too much can turn your customer off and make it feel like you’re not taking their matter seriously.
For good Live Chat etiquette, it’s best to save the casual talk for the beginning of the conversation or instances you might need to wait while you get the answer to their question. This will save time for both your business and your customers by focusing on the topic at hand.
So, now you know our top tips for good customer service chat etiquette. Of course, if you feel like you don’t have the time or money to invest in this area of your business, then why not get in touch with the VoiceNation team to see how we could help?
Here at VoiceNation, our team of professionally trained receptionists can handle all your Live Chat needs, as well as providing Live Answering Services. Speak with us to learn more, and don’t forget to visit our blog for similar posts to this one, such as how to handle online customer complaints and the impact of bad customer service.