Are You A Texter Or A Caller?
Every day, we text friends, family, and coworkers much more than we talk to them. There is a wide range of apps supporting people to chat, such as Viber, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook Messenger, Skype, and so on.
Some people may prefer the immediacy of callings while others like to send a text or write an email. So, they are able to add or delete some parts without worrying that they may say something they’ll regret later.
There is no perfect solution as we all expect. But here we come with a list of benefits and withdrawals of phone calls and live chat. Then, you could decide which one is more suitable for your business.
Pros and Cons of Chatting
Research has shown that social networks and webchat became the number one option when it comes to contacting customer support services. 40% of people expect a live chat to communicate with brands. 90% of people have used a social site to talk to their product providers.
This means there is an increasing number of users who don’t pick up a phone call but choose to chat on social platforms.
Pros
Reach your support team from anywhere
No one can deny that not many of our phone calls last more than a minute. Chat is a greater option to achieve desired service outcomes. It allows customers to access help wherever they are in the world. While a phone call may need more requirements and skills than just wifi.
In addition, live chat agents can gain huge help from bot agents. So you can take advantage of automation and expand the work effectiveness of your team to a higher level. To get more insights on this, let’s move on to the next parts.
Do multitask
Besides, customers can multitask when chatting with an agent. And same goes for agents – who are able to manage several browsers searching for the right information/ solution to present to customers. They don’t need to put their beloved customers on a hold line with boring waiting music.
Let’s think about running Facebook ads, your call center may get overloaded but with a bot and several live agents, you’ll find it easy as pie!
Cons
Misinterpreted meaning
Compared to messaging and calling, the downside of texting is the misinterpreted conversations and the speed of writing. You know, as you cannot show all of the emotions when sending a text, chat users could get it wrong once in a while.
Speed of sending mess
Another issue is how fast the messages are sent. You know, when your customer is in a hurry but the use case needs more time to resolve. The customer may think you ignore his message.
Apart from that, some elderly people may find messaging is not as convenient as calling. The fact that for older ones, speaking is much easier than trying to type a message as their eyes are not good enough.
Advantages and disadvantages of Phone Calls
Advantages
Callings enable direct contact as well as two-sided communications. Although the majority of young people like to text, the foundation of customer service still has the phone call.
Be fast
Well, as mentioned above, people speak faster than they write. Phone conversations could be handled quickly with the right scripts. The point is that you should prepare scripts that cover frequently questions/situations from customers.
Catch customers’ attitude
It’s true that the tone or attitude from a customer’s voice can help the supporter a lot. So, customer success staff can adjust the approach to serve their customers better. When sending messages, this part doesn’t show clearly.
Disadvantages
Be tired of waiting
However, waiting for someone to pick up the phone or being put on hold can easily lead to customers’ frustration. Compared to live chat, not only a live agent, but your customers will be “served” by bot agents which could work 24/7. No more waiting for hours to reach customer support centers.
Cannot edit or delete
Also, as speaking is fast; it’s more likely to make mistakes. Especially, when your customers are angry, you could be impacted by their negative energy. Unlike sending a message, you are unable to delete or edit what you said.
Benefits of Using Live Chat and Bot Agent
Okay, after taking concerns about the pros and cons of the two methods, now it’s time to get it real! As you can see, the tendency of live chat has significantly increased recently. And it seems not gonna change in the near future.
Let’s walk you through the benefits of using a combination of Live chat and bot agents on your websites and Facebook pages.
Reduce costs
We all know that the telephone bills are not a small cost, especially for international calls. Along with that, chat can save time for your agents. Instead of providing the same answers for many people, now, the bot will handle that so your customer success team can focus on other important tasks. This means your money on salary will be used more efficiently.
With the support from bot agents in live chat, you can serve your customers 24/7 with a very small fee monthly. At Chative, it’s only $15 for an Automation plan.
Less stress
No more frustrated waiting customers, your bot agents will be there all the time. Bots can provide informative answers to customers. And if the concerns are complicated, the bot will notify live agents to take care of the conversations.
As Live Chat has the highest rate when it comes to customer satisfaction, you don’t need to be doubtful on this matter. Your customers will be taken care of very carefully and constantly.
Texting is easier speaking
Clearly, you have more time to think and edit a message before sending it. And in most applications, you are able to edit or delete messages after they are sent.
Besides, adding emojis or funny memes can bring a lot of joy into conversations. With a bot agent in Chative, you can do these functions easily.
