Why Use Web Chat Services?
- Faster customer service - Some website visitors may only need a representative for a quick, simple question. The thought of dialing in and possibly being put on hold for something small can be a barrier to consumers seeking help. Using web chat services can improve satisfaction by offering additional ways to speak to your agents.
- Ease embarrassment about debt - Talking to a stranger about money is uncomfortable. Chat provides your consumers the ability to speak to a representative, while allowing them a degree of autonomy during difficult conversations.
- Cater to consumer preference - An important part of website design is creating the ideal user experience. Few consumers – especially from younger generations – want to talk on the phone. Provide the ideal experience for consumers on your website by catering to their preferences and offering an alternative to a phone call.
- More captured payments - Chat services are also an ideal opportunity to capture more payments. When consumers ask about their account through chat, you can train your agents to use this as a prompt to explain their payment options. With PDCflow software you can even share a direct payment link.
- Written record of conversations - In AR, following compliance is the key to a healthy business. When your agents speak to consumers through chat, this gives you the opportunity to save a written record of interactions for your company records.
- Serve more consumers - Chat conversations aren’t instant. Oftentimes, it takes a few moments for consumers to review your comments and respond with their own. This means that some agents may be able to manage more than one chat at the same time.
Providing the Best Consumer Chat Experience
Chat can help your company better serve consumers and resolve accounts. To do so, you need to provide the best customer experience possible by ensuring chat agents are well trained, professional and informed. How?
- Train for compliance - give your chat agents just as much attention in training as live call center agents receive. Work with your attorneys and compliance staff to identify areas that may cause issues and find a solution that works for your agency. Update all policies and procedures to reflect the compliance rules your chat agents must follow.
- Professional demeanor - Make sure agents understand working though chat comes with the same responsibilities as a phone call. Agents need to be respectful and professional during all interactions.
- Spelling and grammar - Along with the basic compliance, be sure those you have running chat can pass basic typing, spelling and grammar tests.
- Positive language - Speaking to consumers through chat can be challenging. Agents can’t rely on a friendly tone of voice through text. Using positive language in chats can encourage consumers and build trust.
Using Chat in Accounts Receivable
Along with customer support, web chat services help agents close accounts and collect more revenue. Agents should be able to answer simple questions about a consumer’s bill, oftentimes faster than with a phone call. Some AR agencies even use chat for real time payment negotiations.
While chatting with customers, agents can also explain payment options. They should mention things like recurring payments, online payments, IVR or, with the right software, place a payment link directly into the chat thread.
Using FLOW Technology With Chat
PDCflow’s FLOW Technology can create a link directly to the consumer’s payment that can be shared in chat conversations. Instead of sending consumers to another page and hoping they make a payment on their own, agents remain in control and can standby to answer any further questions.
Additionally, FLOW is designed to maintain payment security and complianceand reduce the PCI scope of your office. This means, you can have chat agents working remotely from their homes and still keep your company and consumers safe.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Hannah Huerta, Marketing Specialist
Hannah Huerta is a Marketing Specialist at PDCflow. She creates content for the accounts receivable and payment industry.
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