The Future of Live Chat: Essential Customer Engagement Features for 2023

The Future of Live Chat: Essential Customer Engagement Features for 2023

It has been more than 20 years since live chat for support and engagement became mainstream. Almost all websites these days have some sort of live chat tool embedded, and most website builders come with an integrated live chat software solution. So, if every business has a live chat facility, why do only a few reap the benefits of great engagement and customer satisfaction?

It is because most of these online support tools only grant you the ability to connect with your customers and do not go beyond that. Only a few tools have put more thought into this and provided an effective solution that actually makes a difference. Now, let us see what sets these tools apart from the others. You can use this as a checklist to choose your business's next engagement and support solution.

Thinking past the reactive support and engagement

In 2023, in the post-pandemic era, the world is shaping itself to new norms every day. Are you expecting your customers to visit your website, stay online, wait for a reply from your operators, and be online until the issue is resolved? With remote work being widely adopted, everyone works at their convenience from different time zones. So, do you expect a prospective entrepreneur customer to stay on your website while you provide support when they are busy with their schedule? The answer must be no.

Your customers and prospects should be able to engage with you whenever they can. The only way that is possible is by providing a non-reactive engagement, just like a messaging app. What is better than connecting with them from their favorite messaging platforms like Instagram or WhatsApp?

The live chat solution you use should enable your team to connect with your customers and prospects via multiple instant messaging platforms like Facebook Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram from a single dashboard. In Zoho SalesIQ, by linking your IM channels, you can assist all your visitors directly from SalesIQ. Thereby allowing your customers to connect with your business from their go-to messaging application and respond when they find time.

Zoho SalesIQ supports the following IM applications:
Pro tip 💡: Setup chatbots to assist your IM and social media audience when you are away.

Connecting on a call with just a click



When you have an emergency, would you prefer to call or text and wait for a reply? You would want to call, right? That is exactly how your customers would feel. Non-reactive chats have their own set of benefits for most businesses, but for a time-sensitive business like hospitality and tourism, your customers would want to get in touch with you immediately. For example, if they are lost in a foreign country and unable to find or connect with their tour guide, the first thing your customers would want is to connect with you and seek a solution.

Such situations can be easily aided by having Zoho SalesIQ's Click-to-Call feature in your business.
  • To enable Click-to-call for your visitors, navigate to Settings > Brands > {Your brand name} > Installation. Now, check the Call option under Communication mode. This will add a call option in your Zoho SalesIQ chat window, allowing your visitors to connect with you via an audio call with just one click.
Pro tip 💡: Enable call recording to keep a recording of all your calls for future analysis, audit, training purposes. 

Prioritizing your  high-value clients



A high-value client who has signed a $50K deal with you would expect instant, exceptional service from an expert and wouldn’t want to be routed to the general customer support team. They wouldn’t be keen on waiting in long queues to get the necessary assistance. Delaying support can negatively impact your clients’ perceptions of your brand. Therefore, it is imperative to provide the most reliable and instant support possible.

The solution to this is to prioritize your VIP and high-priority customers by routing them straight to your experts. By doing so, you can ensure that your top clients receive dedicated, personalized support promptly. Having a dedicated routing system in place can help you attain the following:
  • Satisfaction
  • Loyalty
  • Advocacy and reputation
In SalesIQ, using the Chat Routing or Chatbot's audience criteria feature helps you prioritize your visitors based on a wide range of metrics and conditions, so your high-value customers and VIPs can get the adequate support without any delay. Check out this post to know more about chat routing.

Pro tip 💡: Integrate Zoho SalesIQ with CRM to unlock more metrics like deal amount and deal stage, etc., to prioritize your visitors better.

In conclusion, having a live chat facility on your website is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. However, having a live chat tool is not enough to provide great engagement and support satisfaction to your customers. You need to go beyond just reactive support and engage with your customers on their preferred messaging platforms. Additionally, offering a click-to-call feature for easy connection and prioritizing VIP customers for dedicated support can make a significant difference in your business's performance. By incorporating these key features, your business can enhance its engagement and support capabilities and stand out from the competition. But remember that these features are not the ultimate solution, but rather a facilitator. 

Regards,
Naveen

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