Throwback Thursday: AOL Instant Messaging Opened Doors for Live Chat Vendors

Photo credit: drjays.com

Happy Throwback Thursday!

Who remembers the little guy in the picture to the left? This is the icon for AOL Instant Messaging, or AIM. I remember this software as the "must-have" to stay connected with friends in that late 90's to the early 2000's. If you didn't have AIM, you weren't in the loop. AIM was, in a way, the Facebook of that time. 

Instant Messenger came out in 1997 and was one of the first of its kind to successfully allow users to communicate via the Internet in real time. In the eCommerce and Support industries, Live chat has come a long way since AIM. Below to the right is a screenshot of an AIM chat window. It was as simple to use as typing what you wanted to say, pressing enter, and the person on the other end of the computer screen would receive it...instantly! Another cool feature of AIM is having the ability to pick an avatar that would symbolize yourself. A lot like what we do with our Virtual Agents. We often include a face/avatar to the Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) to add personality. AIM also utilized A.I.'s for people's entertainment, questions, etc. Just sending a message to the specific screen name of the A.I. (which can be found by looking on the web) and you get a response back from a robot, just like our Virtual Agents!

Photo credit: Franklypenn.com

Instant messaging has matured since AIM of course. Now, there is chat on Facebook and other social networking sites, Skype, and a plethora of software that makes it easier to connect with people in real time. 

In today's era of technology, trusted brands use live chat for web customer support. When people have a question or concern, they can typically find support on a company's web page in the form of live chat. Click on the hyperlink to view our blog post, "Live Chat MVPs: An Insiders Look at the Top Live Chat Vendors and Best Practices." This link will provide you access to our document about key features to look for when selecting a live chat vendor and also a PowerPoint presentation titled, "Best Practices for Complementing Live Chat with a Virtual Agent." 

Whether live chat is being used from a support or sales stand point on a website, in the call center, or even at the Help Desk (Albert!), the benefits surpass the value of just staying connected with friends. Integrating live chat with a Virtual Agent provides a cost effective way for companies to establish and/or maintain relationships with consumers without seeing them face to face. InstantSupport(TM), like instant messaging, gives consumers answers to the questions they have instantly, and on their own terms. Thanks to AIM and other early live chat providers, the doors for web customer service opened, leading to one of the top resources people use when looking for online support.

Live Chat MVPs: An Insiders Look at the Top Live Chat Vendors and Best Practices

                   

Millions per day? Billions per day? How many customers prefer chat? A recent interview shows that a Fortune 500 company in the Telecommunications industry reaches an estimated 8 million website visits per month. Based on recent chat log statistics, a similar company handled upwards of 7,500 Live Chat conversations in one month, for one product line. The truth is your audience prefers the web, and these visitors expect chat as an option. 

 Leading brands have found a way to shorten the path to a meaningful chat by complementing Live Chat with a Virtual Assistant. Find out what they were looking for in a Live Chat provider, the key features, and get shortcuts to the advice you need to make the best decision for your own brand and your customers. 

Click Here to access the Document: Live Chat MVPs

 

Best Practices for Complementing Live Chat with a Virtual Assistant from noHold, Inc.

 

Cheers!

Live Chat, Virtual Agents and Peanut Butter & Jelly

Companies use an IVR on the phone to find out what a customer is interested in before engaging a live agent, and after hours when an agent is not available. But how do they do it online? When your live chat agents start interacting, are they ready to hit the ground running? What are you using to capture the voice of your customer when agents are not available? How do you shorten the path to a meaningful chat?

Join noHold in a compelling webinar that addresses the benefits of coupling live chat with a Virtual Agent. We look forward to seeing you there.

Click here for more details, and to register.

The Diversity of Integration: Escalating to a Live Chat

Although a Virtual Agent may be able to solve the large majority of end-user problems, there are some cases where escalating to live support may be necessary. In these instances, a noHold Virtual Agent can automatically pass the session log to an alternate channel (a live chat, email contact, etc.).

Our customers will see vast improvements on two fronts. First, the end-user experience will be exponentially more cohesive and fluid. That is, users will not have to search from page-to-page for answers and contact information, but rather, be automatically redirected to the appropriate channel. Ultimately, this can lead to increased customer satisfaction, and in turn, increased brand loyalty. Second, due to the fact that the session log is passed along, the receiving agent already knows the user’s problem before the live chat even starts. This assures that even if your user has to go through escalations, there will be time-saving measures in place.

For example, if an end-user asks a question that requires human interaction, or if the knowledge base does not contain the answer the user is looking for, our Virtual Agent can direct the end-user to a live chat.

After entering their name and zip-code, the end-user is brought to a live chat, where they can ask their question to a company representative. On the other end, the company representative does not need to take the time to find out what the end-users question is, because the Virtual Agent has already provided the entire chat log.

As seen in the screen shots, Comcast currently has noHold's live chat integration up and running. To integrate your own live chat with a noHold Virtual Agent, contact us today: http://www.nohold.com/contact/index.php.