Retain and support existing customers while attracting new customers with live chat support. Ready to start or grow your chat strategy? These 8 tips will help!

1. 8 Dos & Don’ts of Live Chat Support
“Service, in short, is not what you do, but
who you are.”
- Betsy Sanders

2. It’s no longer enough to just pull in new
customers—you need to retain existing ones and
build a great reputation.
Live chat can help.

3. DO: Be quick

4. • Customers on live chat expect a fast
response.
• Ideally, respond to customers in
under a minute – the average wait
time is around 48 seconds.

5. • If you are experiencing delays, keep
customers informed.
• Whether through an automated
message or a typing indicator, if they
can see that a response is coming,
they’ll stay.

6. DO: Get personal

7. • 80% of consumers are more likely to
make purchases after a personalized
experience.
• Live chat is the perfect place to make
a personal connection.

8. • Ensure a personalized approach with
a ‘pre-chat’ function. (Image:
Jacamo)
• This helps connect them to the right
department and allows the agent to
look at previous interactions and
respond accordingly.

9. DO: Localize support

10. • It’s important to the customer that
the person dealing with their query
speaks and writes in their native
language.

11. • Have agents who speak the language
for every country you operate in.
• Consider using automated customer
service to direct customers to the right
agents based on their location data.

12. DO: Combine chatbots
and human agents

13. • Unlike people, chatbots can operate
24/7 – meaning customers can get in
touch outside of business hours.

14. • Chatbots are useful for responding to
pricing queries and FAQs
• However, they can may also give
incorrect responses that can irritate
customers and potentially damage
your brand.

15. • Have the option to escalate to an
agent when needed.
• Use chatbots to support your live
chat team rather than replacing
them.

16. DON’T: Transfer between
too many agents

17. • Try to keep to one agent per query.
• Use pre-chat data to direct the live
chat and to reduce the chance of too
many transfers.

18. • If a question must be escalated, be
clear about transferring the case and
make sure their response is timely.

19. DON’T: Be too scripted

20. • Allow open ended questions for sales
and detailed follow-ups in tech
support.
• Encourage a consistent style of
communication rather than strictly
scripted phrases.

21. DON’T: Make it a sales pitch

22. • Live chat is there to help with
problems or questions.
• Conversations should focus on
customer needs, not sales pitches.

23. • Upselling or cross-selling needs to
be done carefully.
• Know when it’s relevant to mention
additional products or services, and
when it’s best to stick to resolving
the original query.

24. DON’T: Forget to say
when you’re available

25. • Decide if your live chat will be office
hours only or a 24-hour service.
• Make sure agents are available
during those hours.

26. • On your website, make it clear when
the chat feature is available.
• Provide alternatives for when it’s not
(FAQ section, scheduling feature,
etc.).

27. Getting started with live chat

28. • A bad live chat experience can turn
customers off your brand; a good
one can drive brand loyalty and
improve your reputation.

29. • Promote your live chat feature and
make it easy to find.
• Use the data gathered from live chats
to improve the immediate and long-
term customer experience.

30. Give your customers quick solutions and
a seamless experience. Add live chat to
your toolbox today.

31. Want more?
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https://www.sogosurvey.com/blog/8-dos-
and-donts-of-live-chat-support/

32. Email:
Reach us on:
support1@sogosurvey.com
+1 (800) 646-0520

33. Thank You!
www.sogosurvey.com