New
research published by ContactBabel, contact center industry analysts, reveals
that web chat (or instant messaging) is one of the fastest-growing technologies
used by US contact centers. 43% of this year’s survey respondents offer web
chat as a customer service channel, compared to only 15% five years ago, with
volumes of web chat increasing by 125% over the same timescale.
Furthermore,
18% of respondents state that they intend to implement web chat over the next
12 months, the highest of any of the 13 contact center technologies surveyed in
the report.
The
report's author, Steve Morrell, commented:
"While
web chat has been around for many years, we are seeing a definite increase in
the use of this channel, which has huge potential. The real-time nature of web
chat means it is akin to a voice conversation in immediacy, giving it an
advantage over email. Multiple concurrent web chat sessions can be run, cutting
cost per interaction, which means there are sound commercial reasons for businesses
to support this channel.
“Survey
respondents indicate that the cost of a web chat is roughly equivalent to that
of an email – around $3.50 – which is less than half the cost of a typical
phone call.
“Web
chat is ideally suited to provide assisted service, in case where a customer
has tried to use a website but cannot find the information that they are
looking for. Customers do not have to break from the website in order to call a
business, but can quickly and seamlessly move from self-service to assisted
service, improving customer satisfaction, cutting call queues and closing more
sales. Furthermore, the rise in smartphone usage means that customers will
access websites through mobile devices more often, and will require an assisted
service option in case the less feature-rich mobile website does not have what
they require.”
"The US Contact
Center Decision-Makers' Guide (6th edition - 2013)", is a major study of
over 200 US contact center operations, looking at all areas of performance,
investment, technology, HR and strategy. The study can be downloaded at www.contactbabel.com.
