{"id":343,"date":"2021-12-07T08:59:13","date_gmt":"2021-12-07T08:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/?p=343"},"modified":"2024-10-18T11:07:24","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T11:07:24","slug":"live-chat-quality-assurance-how-to-improve-chat-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/live-chat-quality-assurance-how-to-improve-chat-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"Live Chat Quality Assurance: How To Improve Chat Quality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Are you planning to improve your chat quality further? Looking for a guide on implementing live chat quality assurance (QA) into your processes?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you remember that show, The Office? There\u2019s an episode in which Creed Bratton, a guy who never did his duty properly, skipped a quality assurance spot-check, and \u2026 nearly tanked the whole company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/glfRtqbHJjs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>You can see that scene here<\/em><\/a><em>, by the way.)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That\u2019s a fictional story, of course. But there are a lot of parallels you can draw between what happened there and your company\u2019s live chat QA.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For one, if you don\u2019t periodically assure your live chat\u2019s quality, an agent may continue doing something wrong that can move your growth needle towards zero.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But that\u2019s not all&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Do You Need Live Chat Quality Assurance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Customers have certain expectations of live chat support when they reach out. For example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/live-chat-customer-support\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statistics<\/a> show:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>79% of the people prefer live chat because their questions get answered immediately.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>46% like it because it\u2019s the most efficient way of communicating with a business.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>29% prefer live chat because they get better information through the channel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Besides these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/live-chat-for-customer-service\/\">live chat benefits<\/a> customers seek, they also expect the chat agent to be professional and friendly, chat in real-time, solve queries instantly, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>And quality assurance ensures all these customers\u2019 expectations are met<\/strong>. Otherwise, if the customer needs and expectations aren\u2019t fulfilled, the results can be brutal. For example, customer loyalty can decrease, or negative word-of-mouth can increase. And there\u2019s proof of it: <a href=\"http:\/\/info.microsoft.com\/rs\/157-GQE-382\/images\/EN-CNTNT-Report-DynService-2017-global-state-customer-service-en-au.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A Microsoft report<\/a> found that 56% of people stop doing business with a company because of poor customer service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>How does live chat quality assurance help ensure customer expectations are met?<\/strong> Well, it enables you to improve your live chat quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7 Steps To Improve Chat Quality With Quality Assurance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-1. Start well<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Live chat quality assurance helps move your live chat efforts towards perfection. But you can\u2019t wait for your QA processes to kick in and make your \u201cpoor\u201d live chat agents \u201cperfect.\u201d It takes time \u2060\u2014 time during which the worst can happen. Therefore, you need to start with a \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cexcellent\u201d live chat agent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When hiring or training, look for these <a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/live-chat-agent-skills\/\">live chat agent skills<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Subject-matter expertise<\/strong>: Subject-matter expertise is key to accurate and fast responses. So you must ensure your agents understand your products, services, and processes fully. Moreover, you should arm them with a comprehensive knowledge base and update them about all marketing or product upgrades to prepare them for all questions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Understanding of brand voice<\/strong>: \u201cSubject-matter expertise\u201d means agents know what to say. \u201cUnderstanding your brand voice\u201d means they know how to say it \u2060\u2014 i.e., the way they have to say it when representing your brand, not how they\u2019d personally say it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fast response and resolution time<\/strong>: Of course, your agents must be able to respond fast and think critically to resolve the issues at hand without piling up chat requests.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Impeccable writing skills<\/strong>: The agent should write jargon-free, concise, and grammatically correct messages in a positive and friendly tone.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Empathy<\/strong>: Being able to empathize with the customer and understand their queries properly is fundamental to good conversations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Openness to feedback<\/strong>: The best agents actively seek feedback from the customers, peers, and seniors.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Only after the agents check all the skills in this checklist consider them for actual customer support chats. Not only will it ensure a good live chat support experience for the customers, but it\u2019ll also help reach QA goals fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-2. Track live chat metrics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In general, live chat boosts customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, conversion rates, sales, revenue, and more. But how to know whether your live chat efforts bring success? By tracking the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/live-chat-metrics\/\">live chat metrics and KPIs<\/a> (key performance indicators).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Look at these metrics regularly to track the progress of your live chat and quality assurance efforts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>First response time<\/strong>: How fast are your agents accepting chat requests? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencethisshow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Comm100_Reports_2020Benchmark.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmarks<\/a> show the average wait time for live chat is 46 seconds.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chat response time<\/strong>: How fast do the agents respond to customers\u2019 messages once they start the chat? Typically, customers want a real-time conversation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chat session time<\/strong>: How much time does a chat session with a customer last? For example, companies with 90%+ CSAT have an average chat duration of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.experiencethisshow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/Comm100_Reports_2020Benchmark.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">11 minutes and 47 seconds<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Query resolution time<\/strong>: How much time does it take to resolve a customer query? Generally, top companies resolve customer queries in the first session itself, and your customers expect the same from you.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chat to conversion rate<\/strong>: If the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/using-live-chat-for-lead-generation\/\">live chat is for lead generation<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/live-chat-for-sales\/\">sales<\/a>, what\u2019s the conversion rate? In most cases, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/live-chat-conversions\/\">conversion rate increases after a live chat session<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Customer Satisfaction Rating (CSAT)<\/strong>: How satisfied are the customers with the live chat experience? A CSAT score of above 80% means the customers are delighted.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Net Promoter Score (NPS)<\/strong>: How has the live chat session influenced customer loyalty? A score of 8 or above on the 10-point NPS scale means the customer is loyal to your brand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Agent utilization rate<\/strong>: How productive are the live chat agents? A utilization rate of above 60% is considered world-class in the customer service industry.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-3. Ask the customer for feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Directly asking customers for their feedback after each live chat session is the best way to know if their expectations are met.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the previous section, I mentioned <a href=\"https:\/\/refiner.io\/blog\/csat-vs-nps-vs-ces\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CSAT and NPS<\/a>. Both are customer satisfaction survey types to collect feedback at critical points in the customer lifecycle, including after a customer support session. You can send either survey to understand customer attitude towards your live chat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"730\" height=\"962\" src=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/image2-2.png\" alt=\"Live chat agent feedback survey.\" class=\"wp-image-340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/image2-2.png 730w, https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/image2-2-228x300.png 228w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 730px) 100vw, 730px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>SocialIntents NPS feedback form<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-4. Determine where the agents need help<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Once you have the metrics and feedback for each live chat session, you can rank agents based on their performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Firstly, look at the CSAT score or NPS <\/strong>to see each agent\u2019s performance from the most important viewpoint &#8211; the customer viewpoint. You can then group agents into high and low performers based on the average score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Next, correlate the low customer satisfaction scores with other live chat metrics<\/strong> to try and find patterns. For example, if an agent\u2019s average CSAT score is low and average response time is high, it may mean that customers are dissatisfied because of slow replies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Also, read through all the customer feedback messages<\/strong> to determine precisely why customers are happy or unhappy. Sometimes your data-based assumptions will be true, sometimes not.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Prioritize solving feedback-based issues. For example, if the feedback says the agent was rude, solve that issue first.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>However, don\u2019t dismiss the data-based assumptions. For example, if you initially thought customers were dissatisfied because of high response time but later found rudeness was the primary dissatisfaction factor, don\u2019t assume high response time isn\u2019t a dissatisfaction factor \u2060\u2014 try to solve it too.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lastly, note that the CSAT or NPS-based performance ranking isn\u2019t the only one to consider.<\/strong> For example, if an agent\u2019s CSAT is super-high but the <em>agent utilization rate<\/em> is low, it means the agent isn\u2019t efficient despite being at the top of the CSAT-based scoreboard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-5. Provide coaching and training<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To help agents reach their full potential, conduct frequent coaching and training sessions. You can hire an experienced expert or employ team leaders or top performers to help uplift the overall live chat team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The experts can take mock tests and demos from agents to familiarize them with different situations and handle them efficiently.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Moreover, they can go through actual live chat conversation transcripts and highlight issues for low performers.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>They can even sit through actual chat sessions with the agent and guide them to respond efficiently and effectively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-6. Hire a QA Manager<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A live chat quality assurance manager\u2019s job is to assist in formulating and updating quality standards and regulations for live chat agents.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Initially, the QA manager sets goals based on general procedures. However, typically, QA goals are dynamic and change over time. For instance, the QA manager can change goals and standards based on live chat metrics and customer feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Having a QA manager oversee the live chat operation means the agents will get continuous feedback and improvement tips, leading to efficient and effective live chat sessions that customers appreciate.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Step-7. Ensure you set your live chat ideally<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Live chat quality assurance is primarily about live chat agents and chat quality. But sometimes, how you set your live chat operations can also hinder the live chat quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, if your live chat software isn\u2019t connected to the CRM, your agents may not have ample context to handle the customer ideally. Similarly, if you send your CSAT surveys two days after a live chat session, the response rate&nbsp; and quality will be low because the experience isn\u2019t fresh in the customer\u2019s mind.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Therefore, besides perfecting chat quality, also perfect your live chat operation processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A focus on live chat quality assurance is crucial. If your agents continue what they are doing without any external guidance or set of rules:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At best, you\u2019ll miss out on opportunities to improve your customer service and delight customers further.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>At worst, you\u2019ll dissatisfy customers, leading to a decrease in customer loyalty, a lower retention rate, and negative word-of-mouth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And I bet you don\u2019t even want the best-case scenario in this case, do you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you planning to improve your chat quality further? Looking for a guide on implementing live chat quality assurance (QA) into your processes? Do you remember that show, The Office? There\u2019s an episode in which Creed Bratton, a guy who never did his duty properly, skipped a quality assurance spot-check, and \u2026 nearly tanked the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":345,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"twitter_aToyMjAxNjc5OTEyOw==_2201679912":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-343","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-live-chat-tips"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=343"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2766,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/343\/revisions\/2766"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/345"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=343"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=343"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.socialintents.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=343"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}