Our shift towards modern technology has completely changed the way we work –  and so have our user’s expectations. Nowadays, customer support is highly valued based on speed and efficiency, as customers demand faster responses and live assistance. To fulfill this demand, many companies have adopted live chats as part of their customer service and general user experience strategy, in order to keep up with this fast-paced world. 

The use of live chat has become more common in recent years, and almost every SaaS company now has one. This practice has become essential to meet the customers’ needs and answer their questions or concerns quickly and efficiently. 

Did you know that live chat has the highest satisfaction levels for any customer service channel, with 73%, compared with 61% for email and 44% for phone?

That’s exactly why, in this article, we’ll cover all the best live chat best practices and examples for 2022, including: 

  • What are live chats?
  • When are live chats used?
  • Live chat best practices
  • Live chat examples

What are live chats?

Usually when you enter any website today, you’ll see an icon or a pop-up from a live chat service. 

Live chats are software that’s designed for customer support, but it can integrate with other features, such as knowledge bases and shared inboxes. A live chat enables real-time conversation between a user and a real-life agent. Within this chat, agents can send links, collect important user information, and even save and share the full transcript for later reference. This makes it the perfect online service tool for customers who expect or demand immediate support. Its main benefits are:

  • Provide assistance in real-time
  • Multitasking support
  • Personalized support service
  • Better return on investment
  • Quick and easy response time

Book a Demo to learn more about how FROGED can improve onboarding and support by using the best In-App Messages, Dynamic Live Chat, and Auto Messages.

When are live chats used?

Generally, live chats are used when customers have a quick question they think can be easily answered. In fact, the average wait time for live chats is only around 46 seconds. It’s also a great support option for users who may not have the time or be in an environment where they can make a call or opt for another long-form version of customer service. 

Today, almost every SaaS business has implemented a live chat on their website due to the more technical nature of their product. 

More importantly, live chat has actually become a more cost-efficient support service compared to responding to emails or calls. According to Forest research, live chat customer service is 17-30% cheaper than a phone call. So put that phone down!

Live chat best practices

Once you get your live chat set up and optimized, it can completely transform the way you interact with your users online. However, there are some clear do’s and don’ts you want to keep in mind while you get started:

Do Don’t
· Personalize the chat as much as possible
· Use a bot to attend to the user faster (BUT don’t forget personalization!)
· Prioritize a fast reply rate
· Monitor chat metrics
· Communicate in a smart way
· Place your live chat window strategically
· Integrate a CRM with live chat		 · Forget personalization
· Bombard the user with chatbots all over the product
· Forget about your response metrics 
· Talk like a robot
· Transfer between too many agents
· Make it a sales pitch

Check out our article on How to get more leads by implementing a live chat in your website to discover how live chats can also bring in new customers. 

Live chat examples

Adding a live chat to your SaaS company website requires the correct structure. Always stick to three main objectives: 

  • Keep it short 
  • Keep it simple 
  • Keep it easy to understand

That way, there’s no room for misinterpretation, and users will get exactly what they want in as short a time as possible. 

Ok, let’s look at some examples of live chat that puts the above into practice. 

Welcome messages

Greetings are important. How you say hello matters. You want to show your users that you’re eager to help. It should always be personal, but it always depends on your brand’s personality. You might create another, more conversational message for repeat users. For example: 

  • Hey, nice to see you. How can I help?
  • Hi Erika, how are you today? Is there something I can help you with?
  • Hello Erika. We have received your message and will reply to you as soon as possible.

Ask for more information

A great practice is to always repeat back the request back to the customer to make sure you understand exactly what they’re looking for, like this: 

  • Thank you, Erika. May I request you to provide some extra information before we continue? It will help to improve our service.
  • Ok Erika, I understand what’s happening here. You’re looking for (…) am I right? 
  • Of course, Erika. If you are looking for (…), here are some options for you


Ask for customer details

It’s very common to need to request your customer’s details to handle their request. As you’re dealing with their personal information, it’s critical that you communicate this in a specific way. Here’s what we mean: 

  • Thank you for your response, Erika. May I request you to share your contact details?
  • Thank you, Erika! What are your contact details, please? 
  • I will need your contact details to update the further process. Please provide your phone number and email. 

Apologize

When something is not working correctly, the first thing a company must do is apologize. Here you have some examples of how to apologize on a live chat.

  • I’m sorry to hear that. Let’s see what I can do
 
  • We apologize for the inconvenience you have faced. We will make this issue a top priority. Thank you for your patience.
  • I’m sorry, but ‌we’re unable to meet that request. May I suggest (…) as an alternative?”

Make sure you have fulfilled their request

A huge part of a successful live chat experience is making sure that all of the user’s needs have been met. Once one request has been carried out, live chats will often send out a follow-up message to make sure the user has no more demands: 

  • Is there anything else I can help you with? 
  • Have all of your requests been answered, or do you still require assistance? 

End a conversation

End a conversation by always saying thank you. Good examples of this are: 

  • Thank you, Erika! Have a great day! 🙂 
  • Thank you for chatting with us today Erika. Have a nice day!
  • Thank you so much for using our live chat service. We hope to hear from you soon! Have a good day.

Final thoughts

Live chats have become a serious game changer for many SaaS companies, not only in customer support but also in sales and even marketing.

Remember that your brand’s communication with users and how you assist them is crucial. Use the do’s and don’ts listed above as key reminders of what your live chat solution should prioritize. At the end of the day, a successful live chat will be efficient, personalized, and crystal clear.  

So, are you ready to level up your website with a live chat?
If you want to learn more, check out our last articles: What’s in a chat widget?, and How to get more leads by implementing a live chat on your website.