Many business organizations believe that leveraging the use of a powerful tools is what confers them superiority in their operations, when in fact it’s the knowledge leveraged to use that tool which actually support an operation. Same goes for live chat software solution. It requires certain characters for live chat agent to operate well.
You may have the best live chat software solution at your disposal, but until or unless the live chat agents’ team, using the solution, does not know how to create effective text based communication rapport with customers, you cannot nail your customer service.
Chatting live with your customers through live chat software solution is more than just typing a response to your customer’s questions.
The live chat agents need to be skilled to truly create a unique and helpful customer service experience.
“What skills characterize the profile of a successful live chat agent?”
Let’s take a look.
The Skill to Read Critically As A Live Chat Agent
Critical reading implies having the skill to read through customer’s unstructured queries (they are in a hurry and they write quickly because they want quick answers) and identifying what the customer is actually trying to ask, as opposed to focusing on what customer is saying.
In some cases, it won’t just be about unstructured queries; sometimes the customers may even fail to properly explain what they intend to search for.
This discerning ability, all comes under the live chat agent’s skill to read critically. Make sure you have a team that is well adept at it.
The Skill to Timing a Response, Without Sounding Intrusive
No customer likes to be responded in an intrusive manner, no matter how promptly and helpfully the live chat agent is trying to facilitate, via the live chat software platform.
Live agents should know when to reply, striking a balance between assessing customer’s typing speed, and understanding the time frame which takes them to construct their questions, without actually delaying the delivered response. It is a skill that can be surely worked on by continuously training the live chat agent staff.
The Skill to Managing the Wait Time
Customers often ask questions, which cannot be facilitated instantly, prompting the live chat agent to look for further information. This is what accounts for the wait time, which needs to be properly managed. For, you won’t like your customer dropping you a message:
“Are you still there?”
It creates a bad impression and breaks the communication rhythm. Hence, live chat agents need to manage this wait time effectively, and if the required time window is too long, they should be able to strategize their communication in a way so as to keep the customer engaged, meanwhile they search for the answer.
The Skill to Structure Helpful Conversation
Lastly, successfully facilitating customers comes down to structuring helpful conversation. The live chat agent would not want to furnish the customers with dialogues that are a representative of marketing fodder. Your customer won’t stick by and move to a rival website.
Live chat agents should be polite and empathetic when structuring sentences, choosing the right moments for transition, only when a customer has been fully satisfied with the previously laid dynamics.
Resourcing the right team of individuals and training them with the necessary skillset, will compliment your company’s use of a live chat software solution, resulting in a customer support service that nails a customer’s experience.
