Johannesburg – August 24, 2016 – The use of Live Chat as a channel for customer engagement has increased dramatically in recent years and is quickly turning into the customer-support option of choice for consumers. More dynamic than FAQs and less costly than a phone call, the benefits of Chat are increasingly being recognised by organisations and their customers.

Customers who use Live Chat for support come away satisfied more often than those who call, email or turn to social media for help, according to a study. Live Chat has the highest satisfaction levels, with 73 per cent, compared with 61 per cent for email and 44 per cent for phone.

44 per cent of online customers say having their questions answered by a live person while in the middle of a purchase, is one of the most important features a website can offer. Customers seem to respond well to the conversation style that Live Chat support offers.

Research revealed that customer satisfaction increases with Live Chat as the number of chat messages exchanged rises. The study believes one reason for this is that consumers are happier when customer service agents are more engaged in the support process, offering a more personalised response.

46 per cent of consumers said Live Chat was the most efficient communication method, with 79 per cent saying they preferred it because they got their questions answered quickly.  The average response time reported is 1 minute and 36 seconds, with the most popular time for consumers to use Live Chat options coming between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Online customers said having questions answered by a live operator while in the middle of a purchase, was one of the most important features a website could offer, with 62 percent of them stating that they would be more likely to purchase from a site if Live Chat was available. Now is the time to take advantage of this positive solution. Whether looking to help an online shopper or provide advice during a service enquiry, Chat is an engaging and cost-effective way of delivering exceptional customer experiences.

About numero

numero empowers leading organisations to be truly customer focused in every way. We do this through innovative solutions that deliver exceptional customer experiences across every communication channel, and at every touch point.

numero is a UK-based company and part of Callcredit Information Group. We pride ourselves on an agile, honest and pragmatic approach, and deliver Customer Interaction Management (CIM) solutions for an Omni-channel world.