Best Business Customer Chat Software

Top customer chat software improves customer retention and growth. Read an informative guide on the best business customer chat software available today.

In the modern business world, effective customer service now includes live and bot-generated customer chat options. Real-time live customer service is always a better option for customers. The best business customer chat software often helps give your established customers and clients the service experience they need to maintain loyalty to your business. New customers are also drawn into making a first-time purchase when their questions are answered quickly and scrolling down or away from their current location is unnecessary. Read ahead for an informative guide on the best business customer chat software available today.

Customer Service Software (CSS) vs. Customer Chat Software (CCS)

Top comprehensive customer service software (CSS) programs consist of everything you need to improve your customer service and increase customer retention and growth. Complete CSS platforms manage all day-to-day operational and customer service-related tasks. CSS platforms are often customizable from minimal to significant degrees. This allows you to create a customer service experience designed specifically to meet and exceed the expectations of your customers and clients alike. A complete CSS platform includes benefits, features, and tasks such as:

Data collection.
Improved customer and departmental communication.
Organization tools.
Improved response times (between staff/employees as well as with customers).
Customer request and fulfillment tools.
Reporting.
Customer chat programs.

Customer Chat Software (CCS) 101

While CCS platforms are one element included with complete CSS programs, they are undoubtedly one of the most important. CCSs are also sold as standalone programs, operating with or without the presence of a CSS on your system. The best live CCS helps manage, organize and improve response time to all customer requests. Customer requests are varied as well. Therefore, the operators working the chat windows must have adequate training to handle everything from sales questions through returns, and technical difficulties to serious complaints. Sometimes this level of training is not plausible to provide to every operator. What is then necessary to replace said training is providing the operators with the minimum knowledge and ability necessary to quickly connect your customers to a person or place where they receive satisfactory results their inquiries.

Ultimately, live chat support programs are responsible for a thirty-eight percent increase in customer purchases and a sixty-three percent increase in the likelihood of consumers returning to a website. Modern-day customers not only expect but demand near-immediate responses to their inquiries, regardless of their nature. Why would they not? Rapid advances in technology are equally as responsible for your business’s ability to increase customer satisfaction as it is for creating an online marketplace fueled by instant consumer gratification. More simply put: If your business does not quickly provide what a consumer needs, another business only one or two clicks away will supplant you. Your business therefore must compete with other companies in your industry, especially when it comes to customer and client satisfaction. Fortunately, the top CCS platforms available today are designed to help your business accomplish this goal.

Still Don’t Believe in the Potential of a CCS for Your Business? Here’s What It Can Do for Your Company

Despite a healthy twenty-four percent increase in the use of CCS platforms in 2021, many businesses are still hesitant to integrate one into their system. Most of these companies either misunderstand important aspects about CCS platforms or are simply unaware of the multiple profit-increasing benefits they provide. Because numerous options for top-tier CCS programs are available, sometimes business owners find it challenging to choose the best one for their needs. Certain small business owners might think a CCS is only appropriate for larger companies. Others might believe the cost is not worth the gains or installation is too time-consuming and complicated. None of this is true, however. Many CCS platforms are customizable in both size, service features and pricing to meet the needs of your business and customer based regardless of size.

Take a Look at the Benefits of a CCS

First of all, installing a CCS is easy to do. The installation process for most CCS programs typically only involves a simple download and process with a few required prompts. The setup process is likely more involved and might require some time to customize to your liking and needs, but this is typical of most business softwares. Live chats are also secure. IP restrictions, end-to end-HTTPS and data protection rules plus more. Furthermore, most CCS platforms automatically send transcriptions of all text entered the chat window to both customers and management oversight teams (the latter for both liability and training/improvement purposes).

A successful live CCS experience is responsible for a ninety-two percent of increased customer satisfaction responses pursuant to website assistance. Familiarity and trust are equally as important to price when a consumer makes a purchase decision today. Many consumers are even willing to pay more for a product sold by a company they know from experience to be reliable. Part of establishing this experience almost instantly with prospective new customers is the availability of a live CCS option. A live CCS window gives customers confidence their potential inquires will be handled quickly, effectively and (most important) satisfactorily. Additional benefits of implementing a CCS into your business’ customer service program include:

Costs approximately fifty percent less than traditional phone support systems.
Increases number of customers served simultaneously (experienced operators have the skills to handle up to six simultaneous chat windows).
Increase the value of each order.
Improves communication with and understanding of customer needs.

Top Business Customer Chat Software Options (and average costs)

Many top CCS providers offer free trials prior to requiring any purchase commitments. These free trials help you evaluate all benefits and determine if the costs of implementing a CCS program into your business are outweighed by the benefits and financial gains. Most price-points are presented in plan or package tiers. The prices of available plans and packages increase as the number of features and users also increase. For example, Freshdesk charges $25 to $99 per month per user when billing monthly, and $19 to $89 per month per user when billing annually. Zoho SalesIQ allows two users to access basic features and limited storage on a free plan. Zoho SalesIQ paid plans are billed annually at $17, $53 and $115 per month for 3, 5 and 10 users respectively. Average labor costs of a single phone-based customer service session range between $35 and $50. The average costs of using a web-based CCS system are only $8 to $10 per session comparatively. Some of the best live CCS programs available for sale today include: