LiveChat and Artificial Intelligence - The BEST Review of LiveChat

LiveChat is one of the top pieces of live chat software on the market today. It lets website owners connect with visitors immediately using a handy online chatbox. Yes, we know. There are plenty of helpdesk platforms on the market today. However, the unique thing about LiveChat is that it allows you to integrate messages from all your online channels into a functional dashboard.

Plus, it's pretty easy to boast about the available customization options.

While we are huge proponents of LiveChat here at CourseCreek, the question that we're here to answer today is,

"Is LiveChat right for your business?"

Continue reading to explore the pros and cons of this popular messaging software.

Pricing and Plans

There are three standard plans to get you started with LiveChat. All standard plans are available for purchase with a monthly or annual subscription. At the bottom, we have the Starter Plan, which costs $16 per agent monthly for an annual plan. The feature set is impressive, even for a "beginner" plan.

One of the Starter Plan's most apparent limitations is that it won't save your chat history for over 60 days. It also lacks many of the quality reporting and customization features.

 

Go with the Team Plan, which costs $33 per agent each month, and you'll have access to chat tagging, file sharing, and unlimited chat archiving. The Team Plan makes it easy to identify customer pain points and monitor your support activity fully.

Lastly, we have the Business Plan, which costs $50 per month. It offers more advanced reporting options and chatbox SMS messaging. You can add a single sign-on for an additional $20 per agent. You can also go with the custom Enterprise plan if your business needs more.

Problems LiveChat Can Solve

Example: Customers Without Direction

With LiveChat, Bill, a customer service agent, can check customers' website activity. He notices that Linda Davis has been spending a lot of time on a specific product page, so he decides to help point her in the right direction.

It just so happens that Linda was unsure whether the dress she wanted to buy was true to size. Bill informs Linda that the dress is true to size, giving Linda the confidence to make her purchase. Linda ends up leaving positive customer service feedback.

Example: Slow Response

Dave wants to buy a new power drill, but he first needs more information on the company's return policy. He would like an answer immediately, though he is not a huge fan of customer service phone calls. Fortunately, he can chat with a live agent. As Dave types in his question, Bill, a LiveChat agent, can already see what he is writing.

Dave's question is pretty common, meaning Bill can enter a message he saved previously, saving the time he would spend writing it out again. Dave finishes writing his question, hits send, and receives a complete response with a link to the return policy page within a minute or less.

Dave finishes the chat, purchases the product, and leaves a good review.

Example: Multiple Chats At Once

Bill is dealing with Robert and Amy when he receives a chat from Lucas. He checks the history and sees that Lucas asked about the company's return policy. He knows Lucas is trying to return some shoes he purchased earlier that month. Because Jen, another LiveChat agent, deals with returns, Bill transfers the chat to Jen and tags it as "returns."

Top Features

While there are plenty of noteworthy features to discuss, we'll start by pointing out how incredibly versatile the chatbox is. You can use it to share files, send calendar or button links, set up canned responses, schedule meetings, and much more. We love that it can transfer chats to different support agents.

If you run a business that has multiple departments, having this transfer feature is a lifesaver.

You can integrate all of your messages from every platform your business uses into one single dashboard. Even with the starter subscription, you can use LiveChat on multiple websites and mobile apps.

 

The software comes complete with various premade surveys, which you can send to your customers after they hop off the chat. Of course, you can also create custom surveys if you choose. Surveys are wonderful for ensuring high-quality customer support at all times.

 

 On the right side, you get a detailed customer message overview, showing what pages of your site they are on or have visited, what platform they are messaging you from, and whether they are new customers.

Unique Add-Ons

LiveChat further expands its capabilities with a list of great add-ons and integrations. Here are some of our favorites:

• Zoom: With LiveChat, you can instantly call your customers.

• Stripe: Collect payments from within the chat system

• Calendly: Book appointments and meetings with customers from within the chat.

To expand your LiveChat usage, you can purchase the HelpDesk Add-On, a robust, professional-grade helpdesk system that converts your live chats straight into tickets.

KnowledgeBase

KnowledgeBase is another LiveChat tool that makes it easy to manage and share your team's internal knowledge to build a public help center. With KnowledgeBase, you get a chat widget that gives customers quick access to your assortment of help articles, all from within the sidebar.

Some of the features of KnowledgeBase include:

• AI Suggestions: You can suggest relevant articles based on typical customer questions.

• Article Management: Organize helpful content by topic so that agents and customers can easily find the information they seek.

• Actionable Insights: Use customer feedback and Google Analytics to improve articles and fill any gaps in your content.

• Simple Text Editor: Create helpful content with little effort, including text, images, GIFs, videos, and more.

LiveBot Integration

Because your chat agents won't likely stay online 24/7, having a chatbot to do the work for you can make things much more manageable. Any missed chat or email can receive a reply using the LiveBot.

LiveBot can handle multiple customers at once. What it might lack in personality, it makes up for in engagement. The point of LiveBot is that it can help visitors get to where they need to go as soon as possible.

 

Security

One of the main priorities in software today is security. Fortunately, LiveChat is very serious about Security, protecting every chat with 256-bit encryption. Team and Business Plan users can create a two-factor authentication system for their chats. One downside is that the Starter Plan does not offer that same sort of security.

However, all users can set an IP address limit so unauthorized users cannot log in to LiveChat and use the support line.

LiveChat Reports

 

 A lot of helpful information can be gathered from these live chats.

Where are the visitors coming from?

How long did they chat for?

Are the agents performing at an optimal level?

All of these questions can be answered through LiveChatInc. The software provides statistics, which can be used to improve the quality of overall chats if needed. You'll be able to see whether or not you have enough agents online to handle the number of visitors thanks to real-time metrics.

LiveChat sends out analytics reports to help you better understand what's going on. Of course, customers can leave helpful feedback to let you know if the chat experience has improved over time.

Support

LiveChat has an excellent support system, as you would likely expect from a customer support company. LiveChat uses its software to provide live support to its customers around the clock. Beyond that, the help center on the company's website offers tons of helpful information, including detailed tutorials and screenshots meant to help troubleshoot common issues.

So, How Do Agents Use LiveChat?

LiveChat agents will begin by logging in and deciding when to accept incoming chats. Agents can then decide whether live chat are distributed manually or automatically.

You can also set up LiveChat to automatically send welcome messages, optimizing the chat experience. Additional automation features include canned responses and pre-chat questions.

If one agent has problems, they can transfer the site visitor to a different agent to deal with unresolved issues.

Users can leave helpful feedback near the end of every live chat, providing helpful data for growth. If the problem is not solved, LiveChat sends out tickets and follow-up emails to every client after the live chat. Tickets buy more time for your agents and set reminders to get back to the person in question so that no potential customer is ever forgotten.

Built-In HelpDesk/Ticketing Features

One reason CourseCreek decided to go with LiveChat is that it comes with basic HelpDesk/Ticketing features built in. With all these features readily available, there is no need to purchase third-party helpdesk software or spend tons of money on LiveChat's HelpDesk software.

In our eyes, HelpDesk software is typically unnecessary for small business owners.

It is rare to find a trouble ticket system built into a standard chat system, meaning you get incredible value with the standard LiveChat software alone.

Pros and Cons of LiveChat

Pros

• Top-Notch Customer Service: With LiveChat, your staff essentially has "all of the answers." They can transfer to various team members with a better experience in different fields, answer multiple questions at once, and much more, all without the customer ever knowing.

• Improved Visitor Experience: Visitors will never have to deal with arduous phone calls or additional contact forms, thanks to this simple text box messaging system. LiveChat helps provide clear answers without miscommunication.

• Instant Feedback in Real Time: Unlike email support, LiveChat answers quickly, so visitors can find what they are looking for efficiently.

• Pro-Active Communication: One of the most significant advantages of LiveChat is the ability for agents to contact website visitors proactively. Regarding sales and upsells, LiveChat can be a powerful tool.

• Data-Analyzing: It's far more effortless for agents to log answers for review than with phone support. This software reigns supreme when monitoring the quality of agent responses or gathering analytics.

Cons

• Not One-Size-Fits-All Software: Some people, especially computer users who aren't very tech-savvy, might not like chat support. They might want to talk to a real person. We highly recommend having LiveChat in addition to email and phone support.

Bottom Line

 

 

Of course, the price tag might be a bit high for some. However, if you are seeking out a high-quality chat messaging system, one that we can stand by after years of use, then we highly recommend setting up an account with LiveChat.

Follow the link here to the LiveChat main page to try it for yourself.