If you’ve ever tried to use the live chat on a website, you know that it can either be a frustrating experience, or a really helpful tool. But because live chat for websites continues to be a trend in digital marketing for small businesses this year, adding a live chat feature to your website is important. Putting some effort into the live chat script for your business can put you miles ahead of your competition. Start with these tips for creating a great customer experience:
Start with a greeting that matches the brand.
Because the greeting is the very first interaction your customer will have with your live chat service, you want to make sure it’s a good interaction, one that will both draw in the customer and reinforce your brand messaging. A simple “Hello” or “Good morning” will do, but if you want to add some personality to your greetings, try something like “Howdy!” or “What’s up?” if that fits your brand. It’s also important to let users know that you’ll stay with them until their needs are met. People want to be reassured that their questions, concerns, or feedback is important to your business, and most people reaching out are doing so because they need help. Letting them know that you will respond quickly to their needs is a great way to start the conversation off on a positive note.
Ask questions that are important to your customers.
Some customers may find it difficult to communicate their needs over text. Asking intuitive questions can be a great way to get the conversation rolling, help them communicate their needs, and make them feel cared about and heard. If you can, let them bring up the topic they would like to address, then ask open-ended questions related to that topic so they don’t feel intimidated or pressured into answering with a “yes” or “no.” If they are having trouble starting the conversation, ask a few open-ended questions to get them talking. For example: “How was your last experience with us?” Or: “Is there something specific you need help with today?”
Answer their questions and concerns, but don’t make it all about them.
This can get tricky, but you need to make sure the conversation doesn’t get too far off track. You’re there to help, but don’t let your customer hijack your chat window with a long list of unrelated questions or concerns that have nothing to do with their original issue. If they bring up something new, ask questions until you understand what they need and then go back to addressing those needs instead of letting them continue talking at length about something else entirely unrelated. Don’t be afraid to redirect the conversation if need be!
Don’t make it all about you either! Remember that this is an opportunity for both parties: You can take advantage of these questions and concerns by learning more about how people are using your product or service in order to improve its functionality going forward; meanwhile, customers get direct answers from someone who knows exactly how things work inside-out. Although the benefits are two-sided, don’t let yourself get caught up in making the conversation beneficial for only you. Remember, ensuring the customer has a positive and effective experience with the live chat service on your website is the most valuable outcome for your business. Learning about your customer base and how they interact with your company is secondary–so don’t go fishing for feedback when your customer feels their issue is still unsettled!
Describe the business, not yourself.
Remember to use the business’s name, not yours. You are representing the business, not yourself. It’s also a good rule to use your business’s mission statement or values as a guidepost for your script. If you have trouble thinking up what to say next in your script, look back at these two documents for ideas on how best to describe what makes your business unique and special, and even on how your business plans to treat the resolution of customer issues.
Be sure that you either know or have ready all the information about your brand, services, and products that you would need to answer the customer’s questions. Don’t ever let the customer distract you with personal questions, and be sure never to give away any personal information. Keep your business and brand forefront in your mind when you interact with the customer, and you should have an easy time keeping personal ideas and information out of the conversation.
Offer a solution to pain points.
When you’re ready to chat, offer your customers the opportunity to ask questions about the product or service they are using. You can also ask them about how they found your website live chat service and whether it was easy to use and helpful. If they have a problem or issue they need resolved, or even if they have negative feedback to share, be sure to center the conversation around that pain point until they feel it is resolved.
Be careful not to distract the customer by changing the subject too early; although it’s still important to end on a positive note, make sure that you make them feel heard and resolve their issue before you change the subject to something positive. If possible, let them communicate something positive on their own after you’ve resolved the issue. If they don’t seem inclined to do that, ask them what went well for them in their former interaction, making sure to let them know you value their feedback and want to expand on their positive experience.
If they need more assistance than you can give them over the website live chat service, or if they aren’t quite satisfied with the conversation and you would like to follow up with them later, don’t be afraid to ask for their contact information. If they don’t want to share it right away, offer an alternative way of getting in touch like an email address or phone number where they can send a message at any time.
Keep your script short and sweet, but also personal.
The most important thing to remember when creating a live chat script is that it’s not a script at all–it’s a guide, a way of ensuring you cover all your bases and don’t forget anything important. That being said, don’t feel like you need to stick religiously to the exact wording provided in this article or any other. If something comes up that isn’t covered by your guide, improvise! You’ll be much more likely to connect with customers if they can hear your voice coming through in every word.
If there are some topics or questions that seem particularly relevant for your business but aren’t included here, add them! Remember: think about who your target audience is before making any decisions about what goes into this document. Be sure to truly understand your audience and keep their demographic in mind when chatting with them–especially if you plan to make any cultural references!
It’s also important that you not only keep things personal but also genuine. We want customers thinking “Wow! This person sounds cool!” rather than “Ugh…this person sounds like an automated call center operator.” If you’re having trouble finding your own voice then try using humor instead. Humor is an easy way to connect with strangers–and often a quick way to prove you’re not a bot!
Be ready for anything.
When you’re ready to start implementing your live chat software, make sure that you are prepared for anything and everything. You never know when someone will ask a question that wasn’t in your script or even think of something new that hasn’t been covered yet. Although you can’t necessarily truly prepare for everything, you can make sure the foundations are covered, making it easier to improvise. For instance, make sure you have your brand’s history on hand, in case someone asks a question about how your company was founded. You may not know the answer off the top of your head, but if you have that information covered in your document, you’ll be able to answer the question quickly and easily. A few things to make sure you have covered are:
- Your company, products and services
- Website features such as checkout processes and product availability;
- Competitors’ offerings
- Troubleshooting products and services or your website
Remember: The best live chats are conversational, not transactional.
Website live chat services are an excellent opportunity to build a relationship with your customers, which is a key strategy in digital marketing for small businesses. When you’re having a conversation, it’s easy for them to feel like they know you and trust your company.
So how do you make sure that happens? Here are some tips:
- Be a good listener! Really listen to what the customer is saying, and ask questions about things that come up in their responses. If the customer mentions something specific about themselves (like their name), use this information later in your chat so that it feels more personalized and genuine.
- Ask for feedback from time-to-time by asking “How can we improve our service?” or “Is there anything else I can help with?” This shows that you care about improving yourself as well as solving any problems they may have had during their last experience with your business or brand.
- Be sure to thank them for their time and for visiting your website before you end the conversation. Ask them for feedback about the conversation before they go. Be sure to end on a positive note!
Conclusion
Following these eight quick tips will help you create a live chat script that leads to successful conversations with your customers. Your customers will appreciate being able to get answers to their questions quickly, and they’ll be more likely to return if they feel like they’ve been treated well by your company. Here at Hyport Digital, we’ve got some experience working with live chat software, and we’re happy to help you find what works for you. Reach out to us with questions, or, if you’d rather let the professionals handle your website live chat service for you, ask about our live chat services! We’re happy to help.
