Live Chat and Live Email to Counteract Call Center Wait Times

One of the strongest and most versatile solutions on the market today (when done right) is combining a Live Chat (LC) with a Live Email (LE) solution. This will not only reduce call volume but it will also increase your level and quality of support.

As a long time Contact Center developer, user and solutions provider, providing a contact (call) center stand alone solution is becoming more and more challenging when trying to solve that dreaded wait time and the top solutions for solving this major issue revolve around increased staffing, decreased support (shorter contact sessions) or rolling out a semi automated menu/directory. While taking any of these options into consideration may resolve a wait time problem, they can also create a downward spiral leading to further issue such as cost concerns and/or quality of service.

Taking a step back and re evaluating your options can shed light on some great support structures/options that can run parallel to a contact center and can solve any or all of the above concerns.

The LC and LE addition will assist current challenges by dropping the call volume down and work to eliminating that dreaded wait time. Although there are hurdles with launching this type of service (not all CC’s are capable of or should try to implement this type of support on their own) arising from developing an email platform that will properly communicate, track and pull data for you, it can be done. Better yet, there are some great outsource partners out there (CheekyZ included) that can work alongside your contact center to solve wait time and other issues.

Although I won’t get into the exact workings of an outsource partner, the bottom line is they can handle hundreds to thousands of communications via LC and LE and when done right, customers are given immediate resolution to their request on either channel. "Done right" truly has it’s challenges, as many online support solutions either have a LC that is currently not available or a LE that sends back an auto reply that their concern will be addressed in the next 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours. Kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it? The reality is LC is immediate one on one and LE is within minutes, a complete reply to a customer’s concern.

The KEY is, multiple LIVE Chats, or LR’s can be handled at the same time by the same person, cutting costs, decreasing time and increasing reply and reply quality. Not everyone (customers) will use this avenue but in this day and age, we experience ( on our projects) well over 30% (and climbs from there) who start to use and prefer it as they get a complete documentation of the communication and love the results.

If a smaller sized company requires support but is not in position to develop a call center or if downsizing has affected a call center’s abilities, a standalone online support utilizing LC and LE can be your complete support solution and will deliver a top shelf support solution to your customer base.