[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The internet is available globally 24/7, making it possible to connect anywhere at any time.
This makes it possible to do your online shopping, banking and other tasks at a time that is convenient to your own time schedule, rather than the restrictions of traditional brick-and-mortar trading hours.
So, whether you are working late at night or based across the world many time zones away, you can still connect and find the services you are looking for.
As convenient as this may be, the flip-side is that your own customers and prospects now expect you to be available whenever it is convenient for them to browse through your website. If you want to impress these people you need to be available when they need you – 24/7. But how do you do this?
Call Centers
The most common way of providing 24/7 support is the setup of a call centre. However, the cost of setting up an infrastructure where call center agents are available 24/7 can be substantial.
Apart from the direct cost, the logistics are often where the real problems present themselves.
Technology: You need to provide a suitable call center infrastructure that is designed to suit the uniqueness of the non-traditional working hours. This would include contingency plans in case of technical problems when technicians may not be available to respond immediately.
Security: There is a lot of unique risks involved in having a small live chat helpdesk operating during the night, so security measures need to be designed, implemented and managed.
Staff management: Not only do you need to find staff that are willing to work during the night, but they also need to have the necessary aptitude, attitude and willingness. They need to be trained and motivated to consistently provide a high quality service when you are not there to watch them, and of course they need to be supervised, managed and monitored.
Staff turn-over: Call center staff that are willing to work during the night usually view such employment as temporary and will not stay around for very long in such a job. This results in a never-ending recruitment and training process that can place a heavy strain on most companies.
Running a call center that provides 24/7 support is therefore not practical for most businesses. So, what is the alternative?
The Alternative
The only viable alternative is to automate the client interaction as far as possible and outsource the live chat call center function. This can be done through a well designed live chat system that not only provides quality client interaction outside of normal working hours, but keeps going – 24/7.
If you would like to know more about live chat for your business and not sure how to get started or who to speak to, please do not hesitate to contact us and we will gladly assist you further.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
