A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, the only way of contacting the customer support of a company was by phone. And let's admit it - it wasn't the most pleasant feeling in the world.

However, now you have multiple choices - you can go traditional and use the phone, you can send an e-mail or click on the little window that pops up when you enter most of today's websites and address your questions through live chat. But which one is better for your company?

According to recent researches, each inbound phone call to a customer service rep costs between $5 and $30 to your company. This is ten times more than what you pay for live chat. But there are more differences - guess how many calls an agent can service at the same time, yes, only one. While he live chat agent can chat with more than one customer at any time, which saves time and will actually increase your customer service effectiveness.

But what about the customer? It is much easier for him, too. And I am not talking just about the psychological barrier that some clients need to overcome (there are many people that are actually nervous to speak to a stranger on the phone, much less with a representative of a big company). Big company's phone calls are often related to long and frustrating listening to a system that lists a myriad of services and their corresponding numbers. It is confusing and there are times when there are many choices, but you just don't seem to know which one is the right one.

This is missing from the live chat. In it, the customer speaks directly to an agent without additional labor and unnecessary concerns.

So, live chat is not just the cheaper choice for your company, but it also is the more effective and less risky option. 

More on the subject:

1. 4 Factors To Consider When Implementing Live Chat Support

2. 8 Benefits Of Live Chat Support

3. 4 Reasons Live Chat Has the Potential to Make Your Business Successful