10 Essential Chat Handling Skills Live Chat Agents Need

1. Effective, Clear, and Concise Communication

Live chat conversations can become unclear and confusing if an agent can’t explain things well. Good communication skills are also important in tough situations, like when a customer gets angry because they aren’t getting the answers they need.

To avoid misunderstandings, your live support agents should communicate clearly and simply. They should avoid using technical terms that may confuse customers further. They should also explain the steps clearly so customers can easily follow them.

Fortunately, QuickCEP offers bots that handle basic questions and pass complex issues to live agents. This feature lets customers share key details about their problems, helping agents work more smoothly and ask specific questions.

2. Multi-tasking and Prioritization

Having many customers is great, but it can become overwhelming if they all need support. Your live chat agents may have to handle multiple conversations at once. So, ensure your customer support team can multitask and prioritize inquiries well. Your agent should know how to separate urgent from non-urgent issues while still giving each customer focused attention. QuickCEP can handle that task for your team. Flow bots let customers choose buttons related to their problems and get instant answers. For example, to track an order, customers can select the “track order status” button and enter their order number. This feature frees up agents for more specific questions.

3. Empathy and Active Listening

Nowadays, customers want to connect with brands, not just buy from them. Studies show that 90% of consumers want businesses to show empathy, and 86% believe empathy is key to building loyalty. In this case, your live chat agents should know how to relate with customers to foster rapport and trust. Active listening helps agents understand customer concerns, leading to personalized and caring responses. For example, if a customer is upset about a late delivery, an empathetic agent should listen, acknowledge the problem, and offer solutions. This way, your customers will see that your brand is empathetic and that you value their experiences.

4. Positive Attitude and Professionalism

Your live chat agents represent your brand online. They talk to your customers directly, shaping their experience. So, they must stay friendly and professional to build trust and encourage customers to come back.

For instance, a customer might have a simple question. A friendly and helpful agent can leave a lasting positive impression. But if an agent is rude, customers might go somewhere else to buy.

QuickCEP knows how important it is to help customers at every step of their buying journey. That’s why we provide templates for things like new customer discounts and product recommendations. These scripts can make sure customers have a great shopping experience.

5. Typing Speed and Accuracy

Imagine a shopper is on your website, ready to buy something, but they’re not sure about the size of an item. Instead of leaving the site to find answers, they use live chat for quick help. In this situation, your live chat agent needs to answer them promptly to close the deal. Typing fast and accurately helps agents reply quickly without making mistakes. This skill lets them keep up with chats, reducing waiting times and working efficiently. It also helps them handle more chats overall. For your reference, most people can type about 40 words per minute. Meanwhile, those who work a lot with computers can type around 60 words per minute. Anywhere in that range, or more, should be fine for live chat agents.

6. Understanding Brand Voice

As a business, it’s crucial to maintain a brand voice across channels. You can’t be friendly and playful on social media but cold on live chat. So, make sure your live chat agents talk to customers in a way that fits your brand.

Not only does it ensure consistency, but it can also help with brand recall. Customers may continue buying from you if they remember that your live chat agents spoke to them that represent your brand.

Let’s say you’re a makeup company catering to women ages 18 and 30. Your brand voice might be vibrant, trendy, and knowledgeable about beauty trends and products. To mirror this tone, your live chat agents should talk in a fun and helpful way to make customers happy.

7. Prioritizing Customer Privacy

Did you know that 6.41 million data records were leaked in data breaches worldwide in the first quarter of 2023? That’s why it’s no surprise that customers are very protective of their personal information. That’s why your live chat agents need to protect customer privacy to keep trust and follow data privacy rules. Teach them how to handle customer data properly, like collecting, storing, and deleting it securely. For example, they should always ask customers if it’s okay to get their personal info and assure them that your brand follows data privacy laws to keep their info safe. You can also program your live chat app to automatically send a message saying how you collect and use customer data for full transparency. Luckily, QuickCEP offers this feature. You can set up a message to ask customers if it’s okay to get their details first. In that message, you can tell them you’ll only use their info to solve their problem. You can even add buttons for them to say “yes” or “no” easily.

8. Knowledge Base and Product Expertise