The age of AI is truly upon us. AI systems have seamlessly integrated into our daily lives and provided valuable solutions across various sectors. However, as AI becomes more normalized and widely adopted, small businesses must remain mindful of its limitations, particularly in areas like customer service.
Small businesses have always been a vital part of our economy, providing essential products and services to communities all around the world. In today’s fast-paced business landscape, it can be challenging for smaller players to keep up – so they can look to cut costs. One area smaller businesses do this is by using AI services to replace customer service teams. Live chat customer service has especially become prone to this. This article covers the current trends in live chat customer service, and what to look out for when setting up yours.
What is live chat customer service?
Live chat customer service is a digital communication platform that allows real-time text-based conversations between a website visitor and a company representative.
The service is popular for small businesses as it provides an easy and effective way to communicate with customers. It allows customers to get quick answers to their questions, and businesses to provide immediate support.
One thing small business owners should keep in mind is that live chat services don’t fulfill the basic requirement of customer service; listening to and empathizing with customers and leads.
Here are five trends that have shaped the live chat customer service landscape for small businesses
Trend #1: Automation
Automation is rapidly gaining traction in the live chat customer service industry. By automating certain tasks, small businesses can reduce their workload and provide faster and more efficient service to their customers.
For example, businesses can use chatbots to answer common questions, or provide information on demand – but they’ll never replace the human touch of empathy and understanding that comes with customer service from a real person.
AI-powered live chatbots are a growing trend. But is it the silver bullet to all your customer service woes? Sure, they can provide useful information on demand. But they also lack the personal connection of a person. 78% of consumers prefer to speak to a real person over AI or a bot.
In other words, they’ll never replace the human element that’s at the core of effective customer service.
“Every time I’ve had a great customer experience, it’s been because of human interaction. Bots might be efficient, practical and can tell us exactly what we need to know but they don’t fulfil our emotional needs. We’re complex creatures. We need other humans to feel heard.”
- Natalie Ruiz, CEO, AnswerConnect
Trend #2: Personalization
Personalization is another increasingly important trend. Customers expect personalized experiences, and businesses that can deliver them are more likely to stand out. By offering personalized replies and offers through the live chat widget, small businesses can provide a more tailored experience. Your online conversion rate can improve by roughly 8% when you include a personalized consumer experience.
Personalization can take many forms, from using the customer’s name in chat responses to providing personalized product recommendations. Businesses can also use information about the customer’s previous interactions with their business to personalize their live chat customer service.
When it comes to personalization, the emotional intellect humans behold cannot be replaced by AI. Real people can understand customer needs, pick up on tone, and tailor responses accordingly.
Trend #3: Mobile optimization
We live in a mobile-first world, so it’s essential for small businesses to optimize their live chat customer service for mobile devices. According to a report by Statista, mobile devices accounted for 55% of global website traffic in the fourth quarter of 2023. It’s extremely common for people to use their smartphones to browse the internet and communicate with businesses. And businesses that aren’t mobile-friendly risk losing customers.
To optimize their live chat service for mobile devices, businesses need to ensure that their chat interface is easy to use on smaller screens. They should also consider implementing features like quick replies and emojis to make it easier for customers to communicate on mobile devices.
Trend #4: Video chat
Video chat boomed in popularity during the 2019 pandemic, and it’s here to stay. By offering video chat, businesses can provide a more personalized and humanized experience to their customers. Video chat is particularly useful for businesses that offer complex or technical products or services, as it allows them to demonstrate features or provide hands-on support.
Small businesses can integrate video chat into their live chat customer service by using tools like Zoom or Google Meet. These tools allow businesses to connect with customers in real time and provide a more personalized experience.
Trend #5: Data analytics
Data, data, data – it makes the world go around. Analytics tools are an integral asset in customer service, specifically in live chat options. By analyzing data from live chat customer service, businesses can gain valuable insights into their customers’ needs and behaviors.
They can track metrics like response times, chat volume, and customer satisfaction. In turn, these metrics allow you to identify areas for improvement and make data-driven decisions. This can help businesses to optimize their live chat customer service and provide better customer experiences.
There are many popular data analytics tools available for live chat services, such as Google Analytics, Kissmetrics, and Mixpanel. These tools can help businesses track key metrics and gain insights into their customers’ behavior.
Key takeaways
Live chat services are something small businesses should be aware of. Business owners need to be across the latest tech trends. But this also comes with a heavy pinch of salt.
While AI can help provide leads and customers with instant information, it falls short when it comes to nurturing. Effective customer service has human empathy and understanding at its core; this isn’t something AI can currently deliver – or likely ever will.
Thinking about adding live chat to your business? Consider how you plan to:
- Automate aspects of the process. Would you prefer a human or AI to do this?
- Personalize the experience to better serve your customers.
- Optimize your live chat function to work on mobile devices.
- Implement video chat as a feature.
- Collect and measure live chat customer service data.
Take the next step
At AnswerConnect, we believe in the power of real connections, made by real people. That’s why all our answering plans include 24/7 live chat support powered by real people. Our team of professional receptionists are available around the clock to engage with your customers.
Ready to elevate your customer service? Reach out to our friendly sales team today.
