Delivering a great customer experience in chat
Chat is a powerful way to connect with your customers. To give your customers the best experience, it’s important to go beyond just answering questions: make each chat feel helpful, personal, and memorable.
Here are some key strategies to create a great experience for your customers:
Respond promptly
Customers appreciate quick responses, and a fast reply can make all the difference in how they perceive your support. Think of it like walking into a store: if no one is there to greet you, it feels unwelcoming. The same goes for live chat.
Speedy interactions show your visitors that you're available and ready to help. More importantly, they help build trust, which is crucial when you’re aiming to sell a product or service. A prompt reply isn’t just good service, it’s the first step toward lasting customer relationships.
To learn more about answering incoming chats, see this guide:
Personalize your profile
Add your name and photo to your profile to let visitors know they’re talking to a real person. This small touch can make the conversation feel more genuine and welcoming.
To learn how to customize your profile, check out these guides:
Offer 24/7 support
Customers want help when they need it, no matter the time of day. Offering 24/7 support ensures visitors always have access to assistance, even outside business hours.
If running 24/7 live support isn’t an option, consider these alternatives:
Mobile app
Stay connected from anywhere with the tawk.to mobile app.AI Assist
Let AI handle routine questions when you're not available.Triggers
Set up automated messages to guide visitors when you’re offline. Learn more about triggers with these guides:
Creating and managing triggers
Advanced triggers
For tips on staying available and minimizing missed chats, read:
If you’re curious about AI Assist, see these helpful guides:
Getting started with AI Assist
Deploying multiple AI Agents across support channels
How to get your AI agent to greet visitors when they start a chat
Using Suggested Message and AI Assist to create scripted chat sequences
Pace your responses
Responding quickly is important, but pacing matters too. If replies come back too fast, it can sometimes feel automated. Take a moment before sending your response. It gives visitors the sense that you’re thoughtfully considering their question.
Set clear expectations
Be clear about what customers can expect, whether it's response times, issue resolution, or support availability. Setting the right expectations upfront helps build trust and prevents misunderstandings.
Use their name
Using your visitor’s name is a simple but powerful way to show you’re paying attention. It makes the conversation feel more personal and lets them know you value their time.
That said, it’s important not to overdo it. Using their name here and there feels natural, but too much can seem forced. Aim for a balance that feels conversational.
Remember, it’s a conversation
Chatting online should feel just like a real conversation. Try to keep things balanced. If the customer is doing all the talking, it may seem like you’re not interested. On the other hand, if you’re doing all the talking, you might miss important questions or feedback.
A good conversation flows naturally, with both sides participating. Focus on listening as much as responding, and always look for ways to make it easy for the customer to share their thoughts.
Need help answering customer’s questions?
AI Assist’s AI Commands and Smart Reply can give you instant suggestions.
See these guides to learn more:
Customers reaching out on Facebook?
Connect Facebook Messenger to tawk.to and easily handle all customer conversations in your centralized inbox. With AI Assist, you can deploy AI agents to help answer your customers’ questions when you’re busy or unavailable. See these guides to learn more:
Connecting Facebook Messenger to tawk.to
Get SMS messages in your inbox
Connect Twilio SMS to tawk.to and keep all your customer conversations in one place. AI Assist can reply to SMS inquiries anytime, helping you deliver faster support. See these guides to learn more:
Connecting Twilio SMS to your tawk.to Inbox
Connecting multiple Twilio SMS accounts and inboxes
Updating Twilio SMS inbox settings
If you have feedback about this article, or if you need more help:
Click the green live chat icon
Schedule a call with us
Visit our community