Think about the last time you were looking at a company’s website and a chat window popped up to see if you had any questions, or perhaps you weren’t sure on sizing and wanted some guidance. In both instances, clicking on the chat window would connect you with a live agent who could answer your questions in real time. Tickets over live chat surged nearly 50 percent during the pandemic, according to the 2021 Zendesk Customer Experience Phone Number List Trends Report. Customers increasingly prefer to use live chat when interacting with customers, according to the 2021 Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report. In fact, 25 percent of customers reported using live chat more during the pandemic, sending support tickets surging nearly 50 percent. Why? Perhaps because live chat can also offer 24/7 support with the help of an AI-powered chatbot. Chatbots like Zendesk’s own AnswerBot can respond to customer requests outside of normal business hours, troubleshoot common problems, or create a ticket that a human agent can pick up when they’re back in the office.
Pros and cons of live chat support Pros Offers proactive support 24/7 coverage More efficient; agents can help multiple customers at once Easier to scale Easier to analyze chat transcripts Cons May not feel as personal Harder to resolve more complex issues Customers can be quick to abandon if agents don’t respond quickly or they feel like they’re talking to a chatbot What about phone support? Phone support is still the go-to for many customers, despite the availability of newer channels like live chat and messaging. With fast resolution times top of mind for most customers, it’s no surprise that phone support continues to enjoy a loyal following. 62 percent of customers say they most prefer to resolve issues with a company over the phone. But while 62 percent of customers still prefer to call a business, it’s one of the few channels that actually saw declining popularity over the last year. Even so, phone support is unmatched when it comes to answering difficult questions and offering personalized customer support. Remember the last time you had to explain a complicated issue by typing everything out into a chat window? It certainly takes more time than just explaining it over the phone. And it’s the closest thing to meeting face-to-face, so tone, inflection, and simple conversational touches can go a long way to forming more personal connections with customers.