Backstory – coming up to GDPR, I felt a little defeated, a lot confused, and genuinely couldn’t wait for May 25th to arrive. After countless emails trying to wade through the murky waters of “What does the GDPR really mean for Australian internet-type business,” I finally felt I was reaching the finish line, but I was in desperate need of whatever the “marketing professional trying to speak legalese” equivalent is to a marathon runner’s energy gel. Enter: Intercom’s chat.
It’s simple, I’m aware – but honestly, so is chat. People just don’t know that yet, and having spent the last year focused on our own live chat experience, encountering someone who’s doing it right gave me a real thrill.
In an effort to pay it forward, I thought I should break down the reasons this interaction gave me life and how you can repeat that in your own customer support efforts.
Friendly tone
Life can be dry. And while there is a time and place for over familiarity, in the dry and confusing times of GDPR, the casual “Hey Lucy” makes me feel comfortable. And the appreciation for getting in touch makes me feel valued.
The message itself isn’t revolutionary – but it doesn’t need to be. We’ve talked about the importance of friendliness over live chat before, because: l). It makes you feel supported and understood – which is more of less the point of any support interaction.
Simple instructions with clear direction
I wanted to sign Intercom’s Data Processing Agreement, and Tim linked me to Intercom’s Data Processing Agreement to “review and sign.” Simple request, simple response. It’s clear, actionable, and it provides me with all the information needed to get me where I need to be with zero fuss.
Executing high-quality support is not rocket science – in fact, it’s as simple as listening to your customer and resolving their issues in as few touch points as possible.
Communicative emojis to keep my eyes engaged
I love the use of an emoji when in need of support over live chat. It’s 2018, we all have smart phones, and we speak the language of emoji. Why should that be any different when needing some assistance?
There are moments when the emoji is vastly inappropriate (like when your customer is upset or seriously confused), but in this scenario, this extra touch provided enough encouragement that I didn’t feel like a pest asking stupid questions. And that made a big difference.
The use of gifs
This is a real pick-your-audience moment, but Tim successfully picked his audience. At this stage in our communication, we had transferred over to email, and not only do I feel supported and appreciated by the follow-up “You’re Welcome”; I also feel a little nostalgic and like I have a new mate in Tim.
While I can appreciate the fact that no two conversations are cut from the same cloth, these are straightforward, repeatable tactics to take with you for your customers. Perhaps my next reflective-quasi-think-piece will be titled “The {insert your company name here} Live Chat experience that gave me life” - the sort of word of mouth magic one can only dream about ;-)
Need help setting up your own Intercom chat experience - get in touch with one of our experts.
