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Live chat software Deliver rich conversational experiences via the web, mobile, and social channels with messaging and live chat software. A guide to the 15 best live chat software Fast, convenient service is the cornerstone of running a customer-facing business.In fact, 72 percent of customers want immediate service, according to the Zendesk Customer Experience Trends…

imageLive chat software

Deliver rich conversational experiences via the web, mobile, and social channels with messaging and live chat software.

A guide to the 15 best live chat software

Fast, convenient service is the cornerstone of running a customer-facing business.In fact, 72 percent of customers want immediate service, according to the

Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2023.Evolving customer communication preferences make it crucial for businesses to adapt and meet customers where they are.With live chat software, companies can exceed customer expectations by providing a great end-to-end customer experience.[What is live chat software?](#1) [Comparison of top live chat software](#2) [15 best live chat software](#3) [Who uses live chat and why is it important?](#4) [Features of live chat software](#5) [Benefits of live chat software](#6) [Live chat trends](#7) [How to choose the right live chat software](#8) [FAQs](#9) [Start with Zendesk live website chat and messaging with a free trial](#10)

What is live chat software?

Live chat software is the technology that powers instant

[messaging platforms](/service/messaging/) through which an organization communicates with prospects, customers, and employees alike.

The platforms allow agents and end users to carry on real-time and asynchronous conversations through a brand’s website, over social media channels—for example, [Facebook Messenger for business](/service/messaging/facebook-messenger-business/), Instagram, [Twitter for Business](/service/messaging/twitter-business/), etc.—via a [text message](/service/voice/text/), or in a company’s mobile app.

More broadly speaking, live chat software is often integrated with chatbots, automation platforms,

[CRMs](/sell/crm/what-is-crm/), analytics, messaging apps, [knowledge bases](/service/help-center/knowledge-base-software/), [help desk software](/help-desk-software/), and more through APIs and native or third-party integrations.

These integrations allow live chat apps to:

– Improve first contact resolution and reduce operating costs by deploying chatbots to handle repetitive customer requests, so more complicated issues can be handled by live agents.

– Enable companies to provide faster, more personalized services by pulling in relevant data from CRMs, HRISs, and analytics software to trigger workflows for use by chatbots and live agents.

– Build rapport between the company and prospects, customers, or employees by conducting conversations in the messaging channels end users prefer (like

[WhatsApp for Business](/service/messaging/whatsapp-business/), Twitter for Business, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, etc.).

Put simply, live chat software lets you deliver rich conversational experiences that are connected across your web, mobile, and/or social apps.It’s easy to automate and fast to scale for every user’s needs.Also, mobile live chat apps on Android and iPhone allow agents to provide support even when they’re on the move.

Comparison of top live chat software

Let’s take a look at the top live chat software to see which one best aligns with your business.Our comparison chart breaks it down by starting price, free trial length, and notable features.

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Live chat software

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Starting price

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Free trial

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Key features

|Zendesk||$49 per agent/month||14-day free trial||

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|Ada||Contact Ada||N/A||

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|LiveChat||$20 per agent/month||14 days||

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|Acquire||$2,000 per month (billed annually)||N/A||

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|Genesys||$75 per month||30 days||

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|Userlike||$90 per month for 4 seats||14 days||

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|Zoho Desk||$14 per user/month||15 days||

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|Podium||$249 per month for up to 3 agents||14 days||

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|Birdeye||Contact Birdeye||N/A||

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|Drift||$2,500 per month||N/A||

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|Tidio||$15.83 per operator/month||7 days||

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|3CX||$175 per agent/month||N/A||

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|Olark||$29 per seat/month||14 days||

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|Thankful||Contact Thankful||N/A||

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|SnapEngage||Contact SnapEngage||15 days||

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The 15 best live chat software of 2023

[Zendesk](#a) (#b) (#c) (#d) (#e) (#f) (#g) (#h) (#i) (#j) (#k) (#l) (#m) (#n) (#o)

1.

[Zendesk](/service/messaging/)

Zendesk offers a feature-rich live chat solution that is fast to set up, easy to use, and scales seamlessly with businesses of any size.

Zendesk live chat software perfectly pairs with our

[messaging platform](/service/messaging/) to deliver deeper conversational experiences.Live chat enhances real-time interactions, while messaging allows for asynchronous conversations—meaning customers can pause a conversation on one channel and pick it up on another at a more convenient time.

Zendesk Agent Workspace brings all your user interactions into a single view, so agents can seamlessly switch between channels and have all the context they need to personalize interactions at scale.

The software also offers simple-to-use, built-in automation tools like:

A bot builder: Use the drag-and-drop tool to design custom, interactive conversation flows—no coding skills required.[Zendesk bots](/service/answer-bot/): AI-powered chatbots help users self-serve by providing direct links to [help center](/service/help-center/)articles.

If they can’t answer a customer’s question, AI bots will hand off the conversation to an agent (along with any existing context).

Zendesk has the functionality to connect all your business systems, from payment processors to third-party bots, to each conversation.You can also upgrade with Sunshine Conversations—the next level, interactive messaging integration—to unlock advanced capabilities.Sunshine Conversations offers features like custom AI chatbots, outbound notifications for proactive customer engagement, and group messaging to connect the right people.

Features:

The features listed below are just the tip of the iceberg.Check out the full list of features

[here](/pricing/#everyone).

– Proactive chat and visitor list

[Routing](/service/routing-and-intelligence/)(based on agent status, capacity, skills, and conversation priority)

– Auto-translation

Omnichannel agent workspace

– Pre-canned dashboards and real-time tracking

– Industry-leading

[ticketing system](/help-desk-software/ticketing-system/)

– Messaging across web, mobile, and social

– Easy-to-set-up automations and workflows with additional options

– AI-powered automated answers

Reporting and analytics(prebuilt and custom)

Pricing:

– Suite Team: $49 per agent/month

– Suite Growth: $79 per agent/month

– Suite Professional: $99 per agent/month

– Suite Enterprise: $150 per agent/month

Free trial: 14 days

2.

Ada

Image source

Ada enables businesses to provide automated live chat with an AI chatbot that goes beyond FAQs.

While a chatbot that serves FAQs is a quick and cost-effective way to automate live chat, Ada provides a solution for companies looking for a more specialized chatbot.

Ada’s chat software for businesses covers a wide range of industries, caters to companies of all sizes, and supports multiple languages.Ada’s automated chat platform acts on every customer’s information, intent, and interests with tailored answers, proactive discounts, and relevant recommendations in 100+ languages.

If you’re incorporating a chatbot like Ada into your live chat strategy, you’ll need to ensure it integrates with your CRM or customer support software.By integrating Ada with a solution like Zendesk, teams can ensure seamless bot-to-agent handoffs—a crucial component of a good live chat experience.They can also manage chatbot conversations alongside all their other channels and access more advanced routing options and analytics.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Offline forms

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Website visitor tracking

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Pre-canned dashboards and real-time tracking

– Knowledge base integration

– Shared inbox tools

Pricing:

– Contact Ada

Free trial: Not available

Learn more about Ada for Chat for Zendesk.

3.

LiveChat

https://www.livechat.com/

LiveChat is cloud-based customer service software with live support, a ticketing system, and analytics.Like other live chat solutions, LiveChat claims to increase customer satisfaction and sales by reducing the number of customer emails and calls.It comes with a live chat app and includes features like notifications, inactive chat messages, chat tags, chat archives, and file sharing.

LiveChat’s integration options allow ticket creation with platforms like Zendesk—directly from inside a chat.This allows businesses to easily monitor customer engagement, conduct quality control, and supervise agents.It also keeps all your customer insights organized in one place, enhancing your customer service capabilities for managing customer requests.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Offline form

– Chat tags

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Chat routing

– Website visitor tracking

– Auto-translation

– File sharing

– Omnichannel agent workspace

Pricing:

– Starter: $20 per agent/month

– Team: $41 per agent/month

– Business: $59 per agent/month

– Enterprise: Contact sales

Free trial: 14 days

Learn more about LiveChat for Zendesk.

4.

Acquire

https://acquire.io/

Acquire is a digital customer engagement platform complete with features like live chat, AI chatbots, secure co-browsing, and video calling.

Acquire’s platform helps teams proactively resolve complex sales, service, and support issues in real time across channels.

Similar to other chat software, Acquire enables businesses to provide support and collect customer information around the clock.The software offers automation options to help boost sales and improve the customer experience.Acquire also lets you launch video and voice calls, screen share, and co-browse from the live chat messenger.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Offline form

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Website visitor tracking

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Voice and video calling

Pricing:

– Standard plan: $2,000 per month (billed annually)

Free trial: Not available

5.

Genesys

https://www.genesys.com/

Genesys promises to empower your business to engage and convert more visitors while boosting support team efficiency and effectiveness.The live support software offers common live chat features, like customization options that allow you to enhance the look and feel of your live chat widget.Genesys lets you proactively target website visitors and includes surveys to collect contact information before a chat begins or to gauge customer satisfaction after the live chat session ends.

One unique feature of Genesys is that you can turn any live chat into a video session for visual demonstrations or consultations.However, reporting is basic and it has limited configuration for specialized reports.

The software is also limited in its ability to integrate with downstream systems.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Offline form

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Website visitor tracking

– Asynchronous conversations

– Secure business and customer data

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

Pricing:

– Genesys Cloud CX 1: $75 per month

– Genesys Cloud CX 2: $90 per month

– Genesys Cloud CX 2 + Voice: $110 per month

– Genesys Cloud CX 3: $130 per month

– Genesys Cloud CX 3 + Voice: $150 per month

Free trial: 30 days

Learn more about Genesys for Zendesk.

6.

Userlike

https://www.userlike.com/en/

Userlike is cloud-based live chat software for website and mobile support.It enables teams to message customers in real time via their website, Facebook Messenger, or Telegram.

Userlike features include the ability to build customized chat buttons and adapt the chat window to fit the look and feel of your website.You can also proactively invite your visitors to chat, switch from customer chats to video calls and screen sharing, set up canned messages for common questions and situations, and receive ratings on your service.

Userlike is chat and messaging software as opposed to ticketing software.As an additional channel, live chat can be integrated into your existing setup of business tools, customer support system, or CRM.It’s possible to connect Userlike to external ticketing software through its add-ons or the API.

With the

Zendesk and Userlike chat integration, you can convert conversations into Zendesk tickets to keep track of all your customer interactions.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Offline form

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Website visitor tracking

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Multimedia messaging

– Pre- and post-chat surveys

Pricing:

– Team: $90 per month for 4 seats

– Corporate: $290 per month for 10 seats

– Flex: Contact sales

Free version: Available

Free trial: 14 days

7.

Zoho Desk

https://www.zoho.com/desk/live-chat-ticketing-software.html

If you’re looking at a list of the top chat providers, Zoho Desk is usually in the mix.

With its embeddable chat widget, the live chat platform enables businesses to respond to customers the minute they reach out.

Features include customer happiness ratings inside the chat window, canned responses, and chat widgets for each of your brands.For customer issues that need more attention, chat conversations can be converted into tickets and triaged to the best department to address their needs.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Offline forms

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Pre-canned dashboards and real-time tracking

– Help center chat widget

– Convert chats to tickets

Pricing:

– Standard: $14 per user/month

– Professional: $23 per user/month

– Enterprise: $40 per user/month

Free trial: 15 days

Learn more about Zoho Desk for Zendesk.

8.

Podium https://www.podium.com/webchat/

Podium’s Interaction Management platform lets you capture leads straight from your website.The most interesting Podium feature is the ability to turn web chat conversations into text messages.However, this also means users are forced to communicate via SMS—even if they want to continue the conversation over your website.

Benefits of Podium include smart responses to automatically answer FAQs (like business hours or store locations) and multi-location transfers to move conversations from one business location to another.You can also customize your chat widget with a greeting, avatar, or after-hours reminder.Podium offers a convenient, user-friendly live chat app, too.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Customizable branding

– Offline forms

– Integration capabilities

– Skills-based routing

– Omnichannel agent workspace

Pricing:

– Essential: $249 per month for up to 3 agents

– Standard: $409 per month for unlimited agents

– Professional: $599 per month for unlimited agents

Free trial: 14 days

9.

Birdeye https://birdeye.com/

Birdeye’s Webchat solution is an all-in-one customer experience and reviews software for multi-location businesses.

According to Birdeye, its live chat solution enables companies to engage with website visitors right when they come in.Every conversation starts with a name and a real phone number, so you can focus on helping the customer with their request instead of fishing for contact details.

Webchat allows you to text customers when they leave your website; the software routes messages to their mobile phone so you don’t lose them.

You can also customize chat icons, colors, and greetings so they’re on-brand.You can even use Google Analytics to understand how website visitors use your web chat.Birdeye has a live chat app, too.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Offline forms

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Website visitor tracking

– Skills-based routing

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Surveys

Pricing:

– Contact Birdeye

Free trial: Not available

10.

Drift https://www.drift.com/platform/live-chat/

Like most live chat software companies, Drift helps businesses engage in real-time, personalized conversations so they can build trust with customers and accelerate revenue.

Drift lets you build playbooks to target open opportunities when they return to your website and route them to their account executive.You can also start a voice or video chat with your prospect instantly from inside the chat window and qualify them on the spot.Drift’s live chat software will also notify the proper sales representative when one of their target accounts is on the website, so they can jump into the chat.

While Drift’s website chat software has many helpful features, it doesn’t include forms to collect customer information because it encourages live conversations.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Chat routing

– Website visitor tracking

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Pre-canned dashboards and real-time tracking

– Automated feedback triggers

– Saved replies

Pricing:

– Premium: $2,500 per month

– Advanced: Contact Drift

– Enterprise: Contact Drift

Free trial: Not available

11.

Tidio https://www.tidio.com/

Tidio is a cloud-based live chat system that integrates messages from live chat widgets, emails, and Facebook Messenger.

Tidio includes basic live chat features, such as a live chat widget that adjusts to your customers’ screens so they can write to you on mobile or tablet.

You can also connect Tidio to all websites and platforms via dedicated plugins.You can answer repetitive questions with quick reply templates, too.

Tidio’s chat systems even enable you to automatically qualify leads and gather visitors’ emails and phone numbers when it comes to your sales team.

It also has a mobile live chat application for your agents or sales teams on the move.However, Tidio has limited native integrations, and analytics are basic.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Canned responses

– Offline form

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Website visitor tracking

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Live typing

Pricing:

– Communicator: $15.83 per operator/month

– Chatbots: $32.50 per operator/month

– Tidio+: $240.83 per operator/month

Free plan: Available

Free trial: 7 days

12.

3CX https://www.3cx.com/

3CX offers one of the top live chat platforms that can help you elevate your conversational experience.It provides basic live chat features like customized chat greetings, chat and call reporting, and omnichannel support through Facebook, WhatsApp, and SMS messaging integrations.

A unique feature of the 3CX live chat support service is that visitors can go from chat to voice or video chat.

Visitors can also click to select which department they want to speak with.

The interface allows queue-based group handling of chats, and it will assign tickets to the first user that responds to the chat.

Features:

– Proactive chat

– Offline forms

– Customizable branding

– Integration capabilities

– Skills-based routing

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Multimedia sharing options

– Chat grouping and tagging

Pricing:

– Startup Pro: $175 per agent/month

– Dedicated Pro: $295 per agent/month

– Dedicated Enterprise: $330 per agent/month

Free plan: Available (for 10 users)

Learn more about 3CX for Zendesk.

13.

Olark https://www.olark.com/pricing-pro

Olark offers simple, user-friendly customer service chat software that helps teams engage with customers in real time.Customization options allow you to tweak the appearance of your chat windows to match the style of your brand.

You can easily configure live chat automation rules to show or hide the live chat window and automatically start chats based on website behavior.You can also easily configure custom greetings based on previous conversations and intelligently route customers to the right department.

Olark live chat also provides real-time updates on who is browsing your website.These updates allow you to hop in and chat with a customer to answer questions before they abandon their shopping carts.

Features:

– Automated messages

– Live chat analytics

– Searchable transcripts

– Custom chatbox forms

– Custom greetings

– Proactive chat

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Pre-canned dashboards and real-time tracking

Pricing:

– Standard: $29 per seat/month

– Pro: Contact Olark

Free trial: 14 days

Learn more about Olark for Zendesk.

14.

Thankful https://www.thankful.ai/

Thankful offers a unique chatbot experience that leans heavily into AI and automation.

AI is used to understand the customer’s language, sentiment, and intent to deliver a personalized user experience.The live chat software is customizable to align with your brand messaging.

Thankful is already integrated with Zendesk and can easily integrate with other website chat services so you can build your own customized experience.Thankful doesn’t approximate or guess when it comes to customer solutions—it wants to solve it effectively the first time.If Thankful doesn’t have the answer, it seamlessly hands the customer to a human agent along with context from the conversation.

Features:

– AI-powered chat conversations

– Self-service options and automated FAQs

– Product and service recommendations

– Customizable brand messaging

– Proactive chat

– Visitor list

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Pre-canned dashboards and real-time tracking

Pricing:

– Contact Thankful

Free trial: Not available

Learn more about Thankful for Zendesk.

15.

SnapEngage

SnapEngage is a live chat software that helps drive better customer engagement across teams.Through live chat, customer support agents can create a personalized customer experience, while sales teams can generate and convert more sales.The software is also HIPAA and GDPR-compliant, so it’s always up to speed with new data security and privacy updates.

The omnichannel solution allows your teams to connect with customers across several preferred channels.

SnapEngage includes automation options, such as chatbots that pull help center articles from your knowledge base, guide customers to the right department, or connect them with live agents who can better help solve the issue.

Features:

– AI and automation options

– HIPAA and GDPR-compliant

– Reporting and analytics

– Audit logs

– Proactive chat

– Skills-based routing

– Auto-translation

– Omnichannel agent workspace

– Pre-canned dashboards and real-time tracking

– Unlimited chats

Pricing:

– Contact SnapEngage

Free trial: 15 days

Learn more about SnapEngage for Zendesk.

Who uses live chat software and why is it important?

From startups to giant corporate enterprises, companies of all sizes across various industries use live chat software to improve the customer and

[employee experience](/internal-help-desk/).Companies will primarily use it to provide prospects, customers, and employees with instant 1:1 support without interrupting their browsing flow.

With the power of live chat, your business can:

– Increase sales by proactively engaging customers on your website

– Help more users in less time and boost satisfaction

– Anticipate user needs and offer help as soon as they need it

Many businesses that use live chat software are also looking to add to and improve their digital service offerings.

These companies often

[prefer live chat to the phone](/blog/live-chat-vs-phone-support/) because:

– Live chat is more efficient (and cost-effective); agents can help multiple users at once

– It’s easier to scale

– It’s easier to analyze chat transcripts

– Teams can provide 24/7 support with the help of an AI-powered chatbot

The best chat software allows you to meet your customers where they’re most comfortable having a conversation.This is good for business: According to the

Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report, 64 percent of customers will spend more if a business resolves their issues on the channel they’re already using.

Live chat for internal support is equally powerful, allowing companies to have conversations with their employees anywhere and at any time—improving the employee experience and overall engagement.

Features of live chat software

There are a few high-level features you’ll typically find with most live chat web apps.Some solutions offer different capabilities or advanced features, but the best software solutions share common essentials.Here are five features to look for and evaluate.

Proactive chat and visitor list

[Proactive chat](/blog/benefits-proactive-chat/) allows your agents or salespeople to initiate a chat in real time with a website visitor.

You can also set up triggers that proactively initiate a chat with a returning visitor, which can help encourage and facilitate sales throughout the checkout process.

Smart triggers are predetermined rules that dictate what should happen in certain circumstances.For example, you could set a smart trigger that causes your website’s live chat window to pop up with a canned message if a website visitor spends a certain amount of time on a specific page.

Your chat should also include canned responses—or prewritten sections of text you can use in a particular situation.Since support agents often face similar situations, they can create canned responses to automatically do things like:

– Greet a returning customer by name

– Offer a discount

– Transfer a chat to another agent

– Answer a common question

Dashboards and real-time analytics

Create custom dashboards and reports using live chat metrics relevant to you and get better visibility into performance across all your support channels.With real-time analytics, your management teams always have accurate, actionable data—like chat volume, visitor experience, and agent performance—allowing you to determine the impact of wait times and missed live chats.

You can track chat history organized by date, department, agent, visitor, or specific tags.Use these insights to anticipate customer needs, increase satisfaction, and improve team efficiency.

Conversion tracking also lets you measure the positive impact of chat on your bottom line—whether it’s making a purchase or signing up for your product.Use this data to optimize your website conversion funnel and reward high-performing agents.

Routing

Incorrectly routing a customer to the wrong department and re-routing them causes a negative user experience.This can result in customers dropping out of the chat and lower

[CSAT scores](/blog/customer-satisfaction-score/).Live chat software allows you to identify the best place to route the conversation.

This feature considers agent status, capacity, location, skill set, and conversation priority.Intelligent routing provides fast and relevant support to the customer, creating a great customer experience.

Auto-translation

Technology has allowed people from across the globe to communicate without a language barrier slowing them down.Auto-translation features allow support agents and customers to automatically translate the conversation to their native language in real time.This enables seamless customer communication in an instant, rather than waiting for an available human translator to join the conversation.

Chatbots

[Chatbots](/service/messaging/chatbot/) are chat programs that can interact with a customer on your website.

They’re a natural complement to live chat website apps because they can handle simple and repetitive requests on their own and pass off more complicated requests to live agents.This helps teams scale faster and serve more customers more efficiently.

Benefits of live chat support software

Drive more efficiency and cost savings

Live chat helps support teams do more with less.Unlike phone support, agents can handle simultaneous chats across multiple channels, which means increased efficiency and cost savings.In a recent study, Forrester found that adding live chat can

improve productivity by 25 percent, leading to hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings for your business.

Improve customer satisfaction

What do customers want? Fast support! When do they want it? Now!

Live chat software allows you to engage with prospects and customers quickly.With the right live chat solution, businesses give users the option to:

– Self-serve with relevant knowledge base content, delivered by a chatbot

– Request to connect with a live agent

– Leave a message for internal or external support

– Continue conversations from where they left off

Companies can offer 24/7 support to customers because chatbots and

[self-serve options](/service/help-center/customer-self-service/) are always available.The result is higher CSAT scores and a support team that can scale more effectively than ever before.

Boost sales and reduce shopping cart abandonment

Proactive engagement through live chat reduces online cart abandonment and increases sales.

Our CX Trends Report found that assisting a customer with proactive, conversational support can help resolve an issue immediately, improving the buyer’s journey and encouraging them to make a purchase.For example, if a customer is having a problem with the business’s online shopping cart, offering support while they’re on the page can eliminate the problem that is holding up the sale.

These stats are a direct reflection of how live chat can increase the lifetime value of your customers.But it’s not just your customers—live chat can make your agents more valuable, too.Here are a few ways live chat can help your agents:

– Chatbots and self-service options filter out easy, repetitive questions

– Automation handles tedious logistics (i.e., tagging and routing support tickets)

– Chat analytics deliver relevant insights

By filtering out the simple queries, chatbots enable live agents to focus on providing the personalized services that foster the kind of brand loyalty that results in larger purchases and greater sales volume.

5 live chat app trends for 2023

1.Rise of conversational AI

Live chat tools like conversational AI are becoming more prevalent for customer support.With phone-dominant service solutions becoming a less-preferred communication channel, customers have increased their demands for digital support offerings—specifically messaging and chat.

Nearly one-third of customers

[messaged a company for the first time in 2020](/blog/messaging-trends/), and 74 percent of those say they will continue to do so.

2.Increased personalization

76 percent of customers surveyed in our CX Trends Report expect personalized experiences.

Here are a few ways you can personalize your live chat conversations:

– Put key customer and employee context at agents’ fingertips, such as previous support issues.This enables support teams to personalize conversations in real time.

– Use a chatbot to collect user information upfront, so agents have all the details to resolve the issue effectively.

– Automatically route customers to the right agent for their issue based on skill, account type, language, and more.

3.Automation to deliver faster live chat support

The use of AI and automated chatbots continues to rise, and the sentiment surrounding it is positive.Our CX Trends Report shows that 73 percent of customers expect more interactions with AI in their daily life and believe it will improve the quality of customer service they receive.

Chatbots provide around-the-clock support and deflect tickets, freeing agents to focus on more complex issues.When customers want a human agent, quick handoffs with complete context create a seamless experience that doesn’t require the customer to repeat information.

4.Quicker, more efficient service

Automated chatbots are just one way to process tickets more efficiently.Fast response times are a key component of a good customer experience—and live chat can help meet those expectations.Canned responses, workflow management tools, and the ability to help multiple customers at once can help teams serve customers and employees faster.

5.Self-service to deflect live chat ticket volume

Self-service options can empower customers to take care of common issues independently.

A chatbot can highlight your self-service options over live chat and recommend help center articles or provide answers to FAQs, so customers can attempt to help themselves before reaching out to an agent.

How to choose the right live chat service for your business

The best live chat website software for your company depends on your business model, desired features, customer base, and more.Here are a few common factors to consider to help you pick the best live chat services for you.

– Integration with your support ecosystem

To get the most out of your live chat software, it must be able to integrate with your current support ecosystems, be powerful enough to handle complex business needs, and offer tools that set your teams up for success.

Essentially, it needs to work with the people, processes, and tools your agents already use.

Live chat integration provides agents with a single, unified view of the customer, complete with conversation history, interactions, and context from across channels.This prevents customers from repeating themselves while being routed between different departments and ensures that everyone—including chatbots—has the context they need to create a consistent, personalized experience.

– Ease of use and fast implementation

The

[best live chat software](/service/messaging/best-free-live-chat-software/)is effortless, intuitive, and easy to set up.

When software takes months to implement and doesn’t integrate well with existing systems, it can add extra costs and time to train agents.Software that sets up fast and works right out of the box lets your team continue providing stellar service to your customers without missing a beat.

– Scalability and total cost of ownership

The ideal live chat software is not only quick to implement and simple to use, but also flexible enough to grow with your scaling business.Provided that your live chat software is deployed within an agile, centralized workspace, live chat website tools should be:

– Scalable: One-to-many interactions enable agents to serve multiple customers or employees concurrently.

– Fast: Automated workflows and self-service options help users solve simple issues.

– Personal: Chatting with support agents feels much more like the back-and-forth customers have with their family and friends.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my business need a live chat app?

Not everyone wants to talk on the phone or wait days to receive an email back.Many people have

[better customer service experiences](/service/analytics/customer-experience-software/) when they can use a live website chat app and get immediate help.It’s much easier than navigating a phone menu or waiting for email correspondence.

Is customer service chat the same as live website chat?

Customer service chat (or customer support chat) includes both live chat and chatbots.Both can be effective for different types of situations.Your company could use website chat tools like an AI chatbot to respond to repetitive or simple issues and use live chat website software to streamline communication when the situation requires a human touch.

When does it make sense to invest in live chat software?

Investing in live chat software makes sense for companies looking to provide customers with instant support in a way that’s more convenient (and cheaper) than the phone.It can also be an excellent tool for lead generation.

A modern way to connect with customers and drive sales, a live chat solution that’s integrated with your help desk software allows you to provide real-time support, which gives your company a competitive edge.

Can live chat be added to existing customer service channels?

You can add live chat to existing customer service channels, including social media channels, your mobile app, or a knowledge base.You can also integrate website chat apps with automations that can proactively help the customer when they need assistance the most.

How can live chat increase the conversion rate for businesses?

Live chat is a great way to build relationships with potential and existing customers.Quickly answering their questions gives them the confidence to purchase or upgrade their accounts.According to our CX Trends Report, customers are less likely to abandon their online shopping cart when you proactively offer support with chat.Even if that customer isn’t ready to connect yet, providing a fast and convenient option to get in touch builds trust.

What makes a great live chat customer support app?

A great live chat customer support app enables agents to manage, monitor, and reply to customer conversations on the go and easily switch between web and mobile while continuing conversations from where they left off.

The best live chat apps come with tools such as shortcuts to answer common questions, customer profiles with essential customer context, and notifications for when a visitor is on your website.

Is live chat a real person?

Live chat typically involves one-on-one communication with a real person at the company.Businesses may use a chatbot before connecting customers with live chat agents, but if they advertise the service as a “live chat,” customers should be able to speak with a human.

What companies should buy live web chat software?

Live chat is a must-have for small businesses, enterprise companies, ecommerce stores, or anyone that serves customers daily.From educating prospective customers about your products to helping current users troubleshoot problems, live chat is an indispensable part of modern customer service.

What’s the process to add live chat software on websites?

The process to add live chat software consists of two steps:

– Add your custom script to the source code of the pages where you want the chat widget to appear.

– Click publish.

You may also want to customize the chat window with your branding, set up canned responses, and more.If you’re interested in learning more about configuring your custom chat with Zendesk, read our

support documentation.

What type of integrations does Zendesk live chat offer?

Zendesk live chat and messaging includes pre-built integrations for over 90 apps so you can make appointments, manage employee schedules, and use a variety of AI bots.The larger Zendesk platform includes over 1,000 integrations, plus API access for custom integrations.

Teamworks

Teamworks delivers scalable white glove service with 100% CSAT

“We needed a system that was easy to set up, maintain, and optimize, and allowed us to gain an elevated level of transparency into our customers’ support needs.”

Faryn Roy

Zendesk live chat: Let’s talk about a free demo

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