United States
What sets a luxury business apart from an everyday retailer?
It’s not the price tag - it’s the service.
When a returning customer walks into a brick and mortar luxury retailer, they expect a certain experience. The retail employees greet them by name and inquire as to their well-being. They make suggestions based on what they know about this customer already - their favorite colors, patterns, and items they previously purchased. They form a personal connection with the customer- and this VIP treatment is why the customer continues to shop at this location.
Why not provide this same service online? Live chat service is beneficial to retailers in all industries, but it’s especially beneficial for luxury brands who aim to mirror the high level of care their customers have come to expect in a traditional storefront. Here’s how live chat software works for luxury brands to deliver seamless and intuitive luxury service.
Live Chat Makes Online Shopping Seamless
Nothing frustrates a customer more than being unable to find the information they need on a company website.
If they do manage to find a contact phone number or email address, the duration of time between asking their question and receiving response is often too long.
Waiting on hold for even just a few minutes can be infuriating and receiving an auto-response from an email ticketing system can push customers to give up completely. That time is precious, particularly if the customer is attempting to make a purchase.
A live chat system will enable them to get the help they need and find the information they’re seeking in real time. A live chat solution like INSIDE chat by Powerfront enables agents to connect to a customer at the most critical moment in their journey.
Quick responses prove to your customer that their time is valuable, and that you care about their experience enough to invest in providing them with the best possible experience.
If a customer has a question about their order - you should be able to help them without having to ask for all their info. With INSIDE chat by Powerfront, you already have all the info because we recognize the customer on entry. INSIDE chat immediately displays the customer’s order number, items purchased, purchase history, and their contact information to assist the agent proactively begin to assist the customer, minimizing friction and frustration.
If a customer is looking for a specific item on a website and they need very specific dimensions in order for the desired item to work for them and the specs don’t appear anywhere on the web page, the customer’s instinct would be to look for the item on another website that does have this pertinent information - unless an agent is readily available to engage with the customer proactively and provide answers to their questions.
We know that there are common questions about sizing so we engage the customer after we identify what they’re looking at. We don’t want customers to shy away from chat so we prompt the customers using AI and then the chat is given to a human.
The customer expects the customer service agent to know what they’re looking at. Not questions such as “wait can you tell me an item number”. This causes extra work for the customer and a disconnect in communication.
The more you know about them during the interaction, the more that translates as great customer service. Timing is key- don’t send them an email after they leave the site. Great customer experience happens in real time.
Live Chat Helps Deliver Luxury-Quality Customer Experiences
Customer experience is far more important online than traditional channels- online, the stakes are raised to lose business to competitors. You can’t rely on repeat business due to pure convenience or physical proximity, and you can’t count on great lighting or friendly greetings to generate brand affinity.
Between pop-up banners, mailing lists, and constant updates and redesigns to create flawless web store interfaces, companies strive to mimic the brick and mortar experience online. Customer service chat is an extremely effective way of bridging this gap.
You wouldn’t expect a customer to walk into a physical store and find everything they need without a sales person around, you employ humans to engage them and offer assistance. Live chat *is* human interaction. That personal connection is a huge factor in improving customer loyalty and retention.
Intuitively, faster response times and smoother website navigation will result in improved customer satisfaction.
Live Chat Fosters Brand Loyalty
The reason that people save up for months to buy a designer handbag or bracelet is because the brand represents a lifestyle and a vision that people want to be a part of. They want to know what it’s like to be a person who shops at that store and who owns a piece from the designer. When they enter the store to shop, they want the experience to last and to savor what it means to be a part of that vision. They want to feel that the brand recognizes them as someone who belongs, and the customer service provided throughout this transaction is critical to ensuring that the connection with the customer is successful. This is why customers come back - they feel included, recognized, appreciated, and a part of this exclusive aspirational lifestyle brand. If a customer returns to the store later on and the salespeople don’t remember them or their purchase, that connection is broken.
A live chat solution like INSIDE by Powerfront will help agents recognize customers, even if they haven’t returned to the online storefront in months.
Live Chat Influences Buyer Behavior
Just as a potential customer may wander into your store on a whim, they may stumble onto your website without any intention to buy. But customer service agents can proactively chat to these customers and direct them to browse a section of the website that their history indicates they may be interested in. Just as a salesperson would show a VIP customer exclusive limited edition items, live chat agents can clientele and retail in real time.
If using a platform that enables agents to see the contents of a customer’s basket, the agent can upsell higher-priced items or suggest add-ons to compliment the customer’s purchase. Highly personalized service will ensure your online customer feels that their time and business is valued.
Live Chat Increases Your Revenue
Obviously higher levels of customer experience should produce increased revenue, but live chat software proactively works to save sales, prevent abandoned carts, and increase conversion.
According to recent studies, customers using web chat are almost 3x more likely to convert, and online customers who chat spend 60% more money than those who don’t. Your online customer wants to talk to you, ask questions, and be educated about your products.
Customer support chat also ensures customer loyalty - one survey found that 63% of consumers will return to a website with live chat, versus a website without.
Emotion is an extremely important factor in determining quality customer experience, and that’s difficult to influence without human connection. This is especially relevant for luxury customers - the premium quality of customer experience received is an essential part of purchasing luxury goods. Like all humans, these customers want to feel special, seen, and important. Live chat can help.
