Live Chat

Term from Customer Service industry explained for recruiters

Live Chat is a customer service tool that allows company representatives to have real-time text conversations with website visitors. It's like texting but through a company's website. This service helps businesses provide immediate support to customers who have questions while browsing their website, rather than making them call or email. Companies often mention Live Chat experience in job descriptions because it's becoming a standard way to help customers online. Some popular Live Chat systems include Zendesk Chat, Intercom, and LivePerson. These tools often include features like visitor tracking, automated responses, and the ability to handle multiple conversations at once.

Examples in Resumes

Managed Live Chat support for an e-commerce website, handling up to 50 conversations simultaneously

Achieved 95% customer satisfaction rating through Live Chat and Online Chat support

Trained new team members on Live Chat and Web Chat best practices and protocols

Typical job title: "Live Chat Agents"

Also try searching for:

Chat Support Agent Online Chat Representative Customer Service Representative Digital Support Agent Virtual Assistant Customer Support Specialist Chat Operations Agent

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How would you handle training and monitoring a team of live chat agents?

Expected Answer: A senior agent should discuss creating training materials, monitoring chat quality, maintaining consistent response standards, and methods for improving team performance and customer satisfaction metrics.

Q: What strategies would you implement to improve chat response times while maintaining quality?

Expected Answer: Should explain balancing efficient responses with personalized service, using saved responses effectively, managing multiple chats, and organizing team coverage during peak hours.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you handle multiple chat conversations simultaneously?

Expected Answer: Should describe prioritization techniques, use of saved responses, ways to stay organized, and methods to maintain personalized service while handling multiple customers.

Q: What do you do when you don't know the answer to a customer's question?

Expected Answer: Should explain process of finding information through available resources, when to escalate issues, and how to communicate with customers while searching for answers.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What makes good customer service in a live chat environment?

Expected Answer: Should mention quick response times, clear communication, friendly tone, accurate information, and proper grammar and spelling.

Q: How would you handle an angry customer in a live chat?

Expected Answer: Should discuss staying calm, showing empathy, acknowledging the problem, and focusing on solutions rather than arguing.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-1 years)

  • Basic typing and computer skills
  • Customer service fundamentals
  • Following chat scripts and protocols
  • Basic problem resolution

Mid (1-3 years)

  • Handling multiple chats efficiently
  • Deep product knowledge
  • Complex problem solving
  • Using chat analytics tools

Senior (3+ years)

  • Team leadership and training
  • Creating chat protocols
  • Performance monitoring
  • Process improvement

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Poor written communication skills
  • Slow typing speed
  • Inability to multitask
  • Limited computer proficiency
  • Poor problem-solving abilities