Malene Wessel explains what you should look for in a tailor-made chat solution vendor.
Off-the-shelf chat solutions may be fine for some businesses, but what about your business’ unique requirements? You don’t have to settle for a standard, pre-set solution. You have options. To find the best supplier, look for the following characteristics in a tailor-made chat solution vendor:
Focused on your specific requirements: One size does not fit all. Your chat vendor should recognize this and work with you to produce the specific type of solution you’re seeking. If they don’t, perhaps they aren’t the best partner to select.
Scalable: You know that your business will grow and change over time. You certainly don’t have to start with one solution and then move to another. Why not stay with the same chat platform as your business evolves? For this very reason it’s important to look for a solution that will adapt regardless of how many operators you have in your customer service or sales departments.
Eliminates language barriers: It’s highly likely that your sales and service agents are communicating with people in more than one language. And a study by Common Sense Advisory showed that 75% of people prefer to buy products in their native language. So, you can’t afford to simply set up your chat solution to spell check in only one language. Why would you want to do that when you can spell check in multiple languages at the same time? Having this capability ensures clear, error-free communications in your customers’ preferred language in a timely fashion.
Customization based on department, product category, and marketing campaign: The ability to vary chat button design, proactive chat settings, and agent routing allows you to create different experiences for various customers. This enables you to tailor these features based on the web page, product type, and marketing strategy. Plus, your agents will know the context of chats routing to them and be prepared with relevant answers more quickly.
Individualized customer service: Just like the solution you seek, your chat solution vendor should be able to provide you with the unique service that you need. They should realize that your needs are different than those of other companies and take the time to completely understand them. When they have the perspective that your success equals their success, you know you’ve found the right vendor partner.
Designate how your chat box appears: You should be able to designate whether your chat box opens inside your webpage or is a pop up in a new browser window when customers initiate chat. If your chat widget won’t do this, you don’t have a completely tailor-made chat solution.
CRM Integration: Your chat solution needs to integrate with whatever CRM you use. Otherwise, you’ll miss out on the collection of a lot of valuable customer and prospect data as well as the added level of service this type of information facilitates. Don’t lag behind your competition because your agents are less prepared for valuable communications with returning site visitors. Be sure you’re able to take advantage of CRM integration.
Multiple APIs: Before you select a live chat solution, make sure that it can seamlessly integrate with all your core business systems. This can mean the difference between efficient and inefficient operations after implementation.
Pre-chat banner with custom messaging: This capability allows you to present an offer, message, or self-help page link to customers while they’re waiting for an operator to pick up their chat. Provide your customers with an extra layer of service with this type of customization.
Flexible Pricing: Customizing your chat solution means that you receive neither too many or two few features. It should contain all the features you need or want and none will be wasted. This way you will get the best value for your specific workflow.
As you can see, there are many important considerations when selecting a vendor for your tailor-made chat solution. When you take these all into account, you will identify the best partner to create your customized chat solution platform.
About the Author
Malene Wessel is Head of Marketing at Live Guide Chat. For more information on how live chat can help companies increase sales and customer satisfaction while reducing their service costs visit liveguidechat.com.
