The ability to provide great customer service is more important than ever in today’s business world. This is a service customers have come to expect, and it can have a detrimental impact on your sales if you’re providing a subpar experience. When deciding which customer service channel is best for your company, it’s crucial that you understand the differences between them. When it comes to live chat vs. phone support, it’s not about which is the best option overall: Rather, it should be about which option is best for your specific needs. Both live chat and phone support have their benefits, and it’s up to you to decide which is the better choice.
Using Phone Support for Customer Service
Phone support has remained a popular option for customer service for many years now, and that’s not without reason. Even with the advances in technology that have led to the creation of new communication channels, such as email and live chat, phone support is still considered by many to be the go-to option.
One of the main reasons so many businesses and customers prefer phone support is its ease. When a customer has a complex issue or problem that needs resolving, it’s far quicker for most to explain it over the phone than to type out the intricacies of the situation. Furthermore, phone support allows for a more personal connection to develop between the service representative and the customer, as this is the closest they can come to a face-to-face meeting without actually doing so.
Additionally, because both parties can hear each other’s voices, there’s far less room for error in conveying tone. A statement that is typed out can sometimes be misconstrued as disrespectful or sarcastic by the reader when the sender of the message was attempting to be genuine in their concern or empathy.
Perhaps the most important benefit of phone support, however, is timing. In general, customer service issues are resolved noticeably faster over the phone than they are via alternative communication channels. This swiftness is highly appreciated by customers seeking to have their problems fixed quickly, but it also benefits your business in other ways. The faster a call operator is able to sort out a customer’s problem, the faster they’re able to move on to their next call.
Using Live Chat for Customer Service
Live chat is a great option for customer service that’s become increasingly popular over the past few years. This increase in demand is largely due to both the reactive and proactive nature of live chat service, as this method allows customers and businesses to have direct interaction right on the company’s website.
When using live chat as a form of customer support, customers can immediately contact a service representative through the website if they’re experiencing any problems. While this practice isn’t too dissimilar from the way phone support operates, live chat also includes the added benefit of allowing those same representatives to initiate the conversation. If a customer is browsing a specific product page, service operators can see this and send a message to them to ask if they have any questions or concerns.
Another advantage live chat has over the phone support is the ability for one operator to assist multiple customers at once. Since a customer service representative is typing instead of speaking, they can hop between several conversations at once to maximize the number of customers they’re helping.
Live Chat vs. Phone Support Statistics
When evaluating these two options, it’s often helpful for business owners to view live chat vs. phone support statistics. This can help them gain a clearer view of which channel will be the most beneficial to their company’s needs.
Some important statistics to consider are:
- A response time of 10 minutes or less to a question is rated as “important” or “very important” to 90% of customers.
- Online conversion rates can increase by as much as 8% when using personalized customer service.
- A third of customers rate being on hold as the most frustrating part of a customer service experience.
- Live chat is the most preferred customer service option for millennial customers.
- Phone support has the highest customer satisfaction rating, 91%. Live chat has the second highest, 85%.
Which Is the Best Option?
If you’re still unsure which option is right for your business when comparing live chat vs. phone support, you may want to consider implementing both. An omnichannel approach to customer service is able to take advantage of the upsides of both channels while minimizing the impacts of their downsides. With their combined benefits, your company will be far more likely to achieve a high customer service satisfaction rating.
Trust VoiceNation With Your Customer Service Needs
No matter what you decide when it comes to live chat vs. phone support, VoiceNation is equipped to handle all of your customer service needs. We provide high-quality 24/7 phone support and live chat services for our clients. You can get started today with a 7-day free trial to see for yourself how VoiceNation goes beyond the call!