1 thing to NEVER say in live chat

P

PHPHost

New member
In live chat NEVER say: "i cannot answer this, please send your question support@blahblahblah .com" because that will p*ss your clients off and make them leave you as I experienced with my old web host ;)
 
Thanks for the tip - we'll try our hardest to make sure *we* don't make that mistake too often. :)

Roj
 
PHPHost said:
In live chat NEVER say: "i cannot answer this, please send your question support@blahblahblah .com" because that will p*ss your clients off and make them leave you as I experienced with my old web host ;)
Click to expand...
That's too broad.

There is certain things that can *ONLY* be answered in pure static text. There is also certain protocols that may need to be followed. Required passwords (submitted via https, or other encryption).


Simon
 
Simon is right. Lately, we've been getting very particular about how to handle questions in the live chat and into what depth we should go into answering them right there in the chat (or sending them to the helpdesk instead).

9/10 times the reason why the guy is telling you to send the question to the helpdesk is because the support is outsourced. It's a sad but true thing - I've tested it myself by going to various websites and trying to have the operator answer simple questions.

Roj
 
Greetings,

Basically if the person behind the live window is sales specialized, he might be able to answer some basic technical questions and not really technical ones. Thus asking the visitor to send a ticket to technical department for further assistance is harmless.

Bests,
Amir Golestan
 
What if you really can't answer the question? Reword the response.

Instead of saying "I can't answer this question..."

Say something along the lines of "I'll have to look into that further and provide you with a better response -- may I contact you with an answer by e-mail?"


JP
 
We instruct our support staff to use the following response, should they need to get a manager or sys admin involved, etc

"I'm sorry but I will need to escalate this issue to a manager/sys admin, and it will need to be handled by them through the helpdesk. I can submit the ticket for you, on your behalf, if you'd like."

Customers that simply don't understand that some things can't be handled instantly, are customers I think any host would dread having.
 
Very good thread to read. I am looking into setting up live chat support on my site, and reading opinions and experiences like this help me to engineer my service better. Thanks for the pointers.
 
If you hire somebody in Live Support who cant answer every possible question then they obviously shouldnt be in there. Remember, never hire somebody just because they can be on support all day, always make sure you get someone with the knowledge and capability to do the job, remember this and you will never face this!
 
If you hire somebody in Live Support who cant answer every possible question then they obviously shouldnt be in there.
Click to expand...

Crap! Every host is going to have to fire their staff! GAH We're all sunk :D
 
Hehehe! Only God can answer every possible question. :)

(I do understand the basic idea though Zach.)
 
That's right! Never say I dont knows! Take time in the live chat, don't rush it! And also, never never never never never close the chat screen before your client! Keep it open until she/he signs off or close.
 
Zach said:
If you hire somebody in Live Support who cant answer every possible question then they obviously shouldnt be in there. Remember, never hire somebody just because they can be on support all day, always make sure you get someone with the knowledge and capability to do the job, remember this and you will never face this!
Click to expand...
Well, when we get a nation of of super-humans, this will apply ;)

I disagree with your logic. There is certain tech's that will specialise in certain aspects more than others.

For instance, there is no way on earth you will get a system admin on live chat. And considering a sys admin's wage (80k), you're darn sure not going to waste him on the off-chance that someone may ask that one question that could stump a "regular" tech.

What you're suggesting is that every technician shouldbe fluent in every aspect - that is not plausible.

There is absolutely nothing wrong in defering a question to someone with more expertise in the field.

Simon
 
Last edited:
We have been doing Live Chat for quite awhile. I think not being able to answer the question is very lazy. If you can not answer the question for your client, you should alteast make a attempt to find out the answer, whilst learning somthing new in the process. Just my two cents :)

Austin S
 
Austin, while I agree with your concept, the entire idea of live chat is to be able to answer the question quickly. This is not always possible.

With live chat quick communication is the key.
 
Yes, I agree, Live Chat is for Fast Communication. Maybe I should have stated my answer a little clearer. I know some questions you will need to look into in depth to figure out the problam, Such as server outages. I understand that a Helpdesk Ticket may be required to give your Technical Representatives time to look into the problam, and fix or come up with the best solution. I was referring to it being Unproffesional if the question was not related to a difficult problam, Such as a Sales Question, or a simple Technical Question. Sorry for the confusion.

Austin S
 
I agree. I think most simple questions should have a quick answer available.

Especially when you count the fact that many consumers ask the same general questions, only in different phrases or wording.

This is why I think live chat should be used for sales rather than support.
 
Its good to offer Support in Live Help, Even If its just level 1 support. Such as how do set up a email account. Its just going the extra mile to make sure your customer is satisfied. I think doing away with support will only hurt you.

Austin S
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum supporters

Members recently online

Total: 13

Forum statistics

Threads
80,909
Messages
248,430
Members
20,678
Latest member
hostys
Top