When livechat isn’t livechat

We like providing our clients (current and new) with the best customer support.

Some like to give us a call, or drop us an email, but often they just like to click on the Livechat link, and chat to someone.  A real person.

We have become increasingly aware of tech companies and others that have so-called “livechat”, but when you click on it, you get a “virtual assistant”.  You ask them “how do I connect my wifi extender“, and you get multiple choice answers up.  I thought this was a livechat person…..

Livechats are not always ‘live‘

The truth is, the major of these “livechats” are not as described.  We’ve found this with so many companies, and it is annoying.  You think you are able to get a proper chat with someone, but it’s virtual.  They have pre-configured answers to your question, but what if your question is a little unusual?

We recently had just such a situation, and the ‘wifi’ comment above was part of it  We got a new Extender, to boost the Wifi.  Trouble was, after connecting it (or trying to) to a Windows machine, the name of the wifi disappeared and referred back to the old one, but the speed is “up”, so we are puzzled.  This is not something a virtual assistant could answer – how would you ask such a question?

We have had similar issues with Yell.com, as their livechat is exactly the same.  It is not “live” and it is not a “chat”.  It’s more of an automated ‘FAQ’.

The whole Livechat thing started, we think, from Facebook, with the Messaging, asthat “chat” in the bottom right corner is something we have grown use to seeing, and now that is where most Livechat’s appear – like ours.    You click it, enter your question and perhaps your name, and very quickly, you are online with a proper human being, so you can ask anything you like about website needs.

Example: if it was a virtual assistant “how long will a website take to build”…… reply.. “Looks like you want a new website, is that correct?”.
Duurrrrr

Our livechat, is a livechat

If you asked it on ours, we would ask for more details on the website you want, perhaps where you are based and so on – getting to know you.

The reason for this post is not just to say “you can contact us on livechat”, but it is also a bit of a dig at those businesses who think a “livechat” is where people enter their question, and an automated thing replies.  No.  It just isn’t.

We kind of like Livechats where you go through a few options to filter to the right department, ie “audio devices, laptops, wifi devices…”.  That works.  “hello I see you have a question about your wifi, how can help?”, and then off we go.  Not as described earlier: “I cannot connect my wifi, how do I do this?”… “Is this about your wifi device?”.

So to those companies out there trying to help their customers get through to them, here are two things we would suggest:

1. make your livechat a REAL live chat – or bin it.
2. let customers ring your landline or an 03/08 number that is charged at the same rate.  Another pet hate of ours.

It’s common courtesy, and makes the customer feel a little more valued.
So bring on the livechat, and make it real – not robot.  Humans like to chat to humans.

How do you install a livechat?

This is pretty easy, specially if you use WordPress.  Most livechat services provide either a plugin or a little bit of code, and then you can customize the look of it.  Some charge money, some are free.  If you want a Livechat on your site, and we mean a proper livechat – not a ticket system, or a “virtual”, but a *livechat*, then get in touch.

Ping the Livechat in the bottom right corner, or go to our Contact Us page for real easy methods of getting in touch.  We are here, real, friendly and support.  #alwaysreal