Live Chat Support Software and Outsourced Customer Support

On a growing list of processes that are being outsourced by companies around the world both large and small, there is now a relatively new entrant known in the BPO industry as outsourced live chat support service. This service, which we will discuss and describe at length, is actually not new in the strict sense of the term. As early as 2008, many leading outsourcing companies were providing this service from destinations as remote as the Philippines and India.

Factors that negatively influenced the outsourcing of customer support services in general and live chat in particular at that time included cultural nuances, time zone challenges, linguistic expertise and inadequate domain knowledge only to name a few.

The scenario is significantly different today. If you take the time to examine the ground realities closely, you will notice that owing in part to globalization, cultural barriers rarely exist within the four walls of a professionally managed organization that can provide outsourced customer support services. Domain knowledge is easier to acquire today. Moreover, there is now an industry track record which involves several years of expertise and experience that supports the outsourcing model.

How it works

Once your organization takes the mission critical decision not only to provide live chat support service but also to outsource it, the outsourcing company providing you the service configures the live chat software in such a way that they are able to attend to your chats from their remote location effortlessly. As soon as the technology is in place and the necessary configurations have been achieved, live chat agents, also known as chat operators, are put to work for you. As a first step, they receive training about your company’s products and services, your policies and procedures and gain insights into your organization from the inside. This enables them to deliver a rich blend of information, engagement and recommendations to your website visitors and customers.

Paying for Outsourced Live Chat Support Service

There are a number of billing models available to you including the pay-for-performance model in which you pay for every chat successfully concluded, outsourced chat service by the month, quarter and year. The number of hours during which the service is provided to you also impacts the cost of the service. Depending on your chat volume, you can asked to be assigned one, two or more live chat agents to attend to your customers and visitors simultaneously and address their needs.

Why should you outsource your live chat support service?

The reasons are many. In the first place, it is a good idea to outsource as many of your routine back office functions as possible so that you can remain focused on your core business activity. If budgets aren’t a major consideration, you can even explore the possibility of providing outsourced live chat support service 24X7-- a step which will go a long way in engaging your customers, enhancing customer retention, and converting visitors into buyers.

Outsourced Live Chat Support Service is Transparent and Credible

The process of outsourcing your live chat support function is extremely transparent and above board. Your service provider will not only provide you access to a wide array of reports featuring live chat adoption but also forward you the chat transcripts to help you monitor performance and implement a course correction if necessary.