10 Stats That Prove Customers Love Live Chat

The data is clear: customers love live chat support. 

Live chat elevates the customer experience and eliminates many of the pain points customers have with other communication methods.

But don’t just take our word for it. Here are 10 live chat statistics that show why this support channel is such a fan fave.

1. 41% of customers prefer live chat for customer service interactions over other mediums.

Customers show an obvious preference for live chat support because it requires minimal effort and high reward compared with phone and email interactions. In fact,  most problems are resolved on live chat in under 42 seconds.

When it comes to other channels, only 32 percent prefer phone support, 23 percent prefer email, and 3 percent prefer social media support.

2. 79% of users prefer live chat for its ability to provide instant responses to queries.

One of the biggest complaints consumers have with traditional customer support is the length of time it takes to even be heard. Businesses with high call volume are especially susceptible to overlooking customer concerns.

People love live chat simply because they don’t have to wait as long for those queries to be addressed.

3. Complex inquiries are better suited to live chat than many other mediums.

You may think the more time a customer spends interacting with a live chat agent, the worse their experience. Interestingly, it’s the opposite. A recent study found that companies with satisfaction ratings above 90 percent had an average chat duration of 11 minutes and 47 seconds. Shorter chats (8 minutes and 42 seconds, in this instance) produced lower satisfaction. 

That’s because live chat gives customers with more detailed queries better service in real-time that might otherwise take days over email or tie them up on the phone for extended periods of time. 

4. 95% of customers prefer thorough and thoughtful service to speed.

In general, customers just want to have a high-quality live support experience in a reasonable amount of time. Chat allows a business to automate answers to commonly asked questions and thereby give live agents more time to provide better service for more complicated queries.

5. Customers have a slight preference for interacting with chatbots.

When it comes to support, your average customer isn’t always a people person. Studies show that live chats fully handled by chatbots receive slightly higher satisfaction ratings than chats that have to be transferred to live agents. Those numbers shake out to be 87.58 percent vs. 85.8 percent respectively.

6. 40% of shoppers who use live chat are more likely to make online purchases from a website compared with 22% of shoppers who have never interacted with a live chat. 

A customer who stumbles onto a website might find a product they love but then leave it on a wishlist without any kind of nudge. Live chats help customers be more decisive in their purchasing.

7. Live chat allows customers to have their questions answered as they shop.

Live chat is a very useful tool for customers trying to learn more about products before they purchase them, and it’s a tool that they want. 44% of online customers say that having their questions answered by a live chat while they shop is one of “the most important features a website can offer.”

8. Customers leave more satisfied with live chat than other mediums.

Phone calls still have the edge with a 91% customer satisfaction rate, but when it comes to customer interactions, live chat has a satisfaction rate of 85%. If you have to choose between email and chat, you’re going to want to pick the latter.

9. 73% of customers say valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good service.

Because of its ability to provide quick responses in an accessible manner, live chats are a great way for businesses to react quickly and effectively to customer queries and prove they really do value their customers’ time.

10. Chatbots provide customers with consistent answers to their questions. 

Consistency is king when it comes to customer support. You don’t want your customer calling into a business multiple times and getting a different experience each time, and customers don’t want that either. 69 percent of adults shop more with retailers who provide them with consistent online and offline customer service. 

With the right live chat technology, you can enrich every customer and agent interaction with consistent service that feeds off of data-informed context. 

Learn more about how UJET’s stable and secure live chat software can help you elevate your CX and increase customer satisfaction.