Even when people know what they are looking for while shopping, they may still need assistance locating it in a store. We are talking not only about brick-and-mortar stores; people need immediate assistance when shopping online. According to a study by Forrester Research, 44% of online consumers say that having questions answered by a live person while making an online purchase is one of the most important features a website can offer. Live chat can help.
While customers prefer not to wait in a call queue, communicating with your customer support team via Live chat is convenient. It offers your customers a solution to resolve their queries at the right time without leaving the page they are viewing.
An advanced live chat facility can help you boost your customer experience and drive more sales. The process can also be easily outsourced without compromising the customer experience. Quality live chat support must have the following features.
- Screen sharing: With screen sharing, the agent gets temporary access to a customer’s computer screen and can navigate on the customer’s behalf. It is more accessible and straightforward for non-tech-savvy customers.
- Co-browsing: When customers have difficulty placing an order online, agents can guide them through the ordering process using Co-browsing.
- Instant Messaging: Instant messaging enables customers to receive prompt answers to their questions, accelerating the purchasing process.
- Video Conferencing: Video conferencing can help you better serve a priority customer. It provides a better customer experience and more personalized support.
- Calling Facilities: A calling facility in live chat support allows your customers to speak with a live agent, improving the experience.
However, rich features alone cannot create a great customer chat support experience. You need to follow a few live chat best practices to do so. Want to know about them? Check them out:
Live Chat Best Practices
1. Make the Most out of Canned Messages
Canned messages (prewritten responses) are essential for efficiency, enabling agents to respond quickly to common queries such as greetings, FAQs, and confirmations without typing everything from scratch.
Tips: Customize them to avoid sounding robotic—include placeholders for the customer’s name or specific details (e.g., “Hi [Name], thanks for reaching out about your order #[OrderID]. How can I assist?”). Companies like Fusion CX have reported significant reductions in AHT by using well-crafted canned responses. Best practice: Regularly review and update them based on chat transcripts to ensure relevance. Limit overuse to 50-60% of responses to maintain a human feel.
2. Collect Information Upfront
Use pre-chat surveys or forms to collect key details, such as the customer’s name, issue category, order number, or email address, before the chat starts. This enables intelligent routing to the correct department or agent.
Tips: Keep surveys short (3-5 questions max) to avoid abandonment. For example, options such as “Billing,” “Technical Support,” or “Sales Inquiry” expedite routing. Integration with CRM tools pulls in history for context. This reduces back-and-forth, cutting resolution time by up to 30%.
3. Practice Using Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts for inserting canned messages, transferring chats, or tagging issues save precious seconds per interaction.
Tips: Train agents to use tools such as Ctrl+Number to access canned responses quickly. Combined with typing previews (showing what the customer is typing in real time), this can shave minutes off AHT. Fusion CX and others have seen efficiency gains here—aim for agents handling 3-6 concurrent chats without quality drops.
4. Use Alternate Media
Instead of long text explanations, share images, screenshots, GIFs, files, or short how-to videos directly in the chat.
Tips: For complex issues (e.g., setup guides), a 30-second video is faster to resolve than paragraphs. Tools with file-sharing reduce misunderstandings. This is especially effective for visual products such as tech and fashion, improving first-contact resolution rates.
5. Be Clear About Wait Times and Operating Hours
Set expectations early: Inform customers if live chat is 24/7 or limited (e.g., 9 AM-9 PM), and provide accurate wait estimates. Display hours prominently on your website, chat widget, and social profiles.
Tips: If offline, switch to an offline form or chatbot for basic queries. Phrases like “Our team is available Mon-Fri, 8 AM-6 PM—expected wait: 2 minutes” build trust. Transparency prevents frustration; studies show unclear availability is a top complaint.
6. Personalize Your Chat
Use the customer’s name frequently, reference their purchase history or previous interactions, and tailor responses to their specific situation.
Tips: “Hi Sarah, I see you recently purchased the blue jacket—how’s it fitting?” shows care. CRM integration makes this seamless. Personalization can increase satisfaction by 20-30%, as customers feel valued rather than like a ticket number.
7. Build a Connection
Humanize interactions by showing the agent’s name, photo, and a brief intro at the start (e.g., “Hi, I’m Alex from Support—happy to help!”).
Tips: This creates rapport, especially in longer chats. Encourage casual elements like emojis (in moderation) for friendly brands. Building connections turns one-time queries into loyal relationships.
8. Acknowledge and Empathize
Always validate the customer’s feelings: “I’m sorry you’re experiencing this issue—it sounds frustrating.” Follow the HEARD method (Hear, Empathize, Apologize, Resolve, Diagnose) for tricky situations.
Tips: Empathy de-escalates anger and makes customers feel heard. Avoid rushing to solutions; acknowledgment alone can significantly improve satisfaction scores.
9. Use the Right Tone and Voice
Align chat language with your brand: Formal and polished for luxury brands, casual and fun for youth-oriented ones (e.g., soccer merchandise vs. high-end fashion).
Tips: Maintain consistency across agents with style guides. Use positive language (e.g., “I can help with that!” instead of “I can’t do that”). Mirror the customer’s tone for better engagement.
10. Be Positive
Stay upbeat, friendly, and solution-focused, even in challenges. End chats positively: “Glad we resolved that—anything else I can help with today?”
Tips: Positivity is contagious and can turn negative experiences around, boosting loyalty and reviews. Send post-chat surveys or follow-ups to gather feedback and close on a high note.
If your team lacks the resources for round-the-clock live chat, partnering with a BPO that specializes in outsourced support can provide scalable, 24/7 coverage without placing undue strain on your internal team. Implementing these practices consistently—through training, tools, and metrics tracking—can transform live chat from a basic feature into a competitive advantage.
