eChat for businessMike Ekey

Welcome● Introduce basic principles of online chat

communications.● Walk through several best practices for conducting

business via chat.● Discuss online etiquette rules and norms.● Review some commonly made mistakes (spelling,

grammar, etc.).● Practice with some hands-on examples.● Wrap up discussion.

WelcomeMike Ekey

— 10 years of online communications and marketing experience.

— Managed, delivered, create online communications plans for Metropolitan Community College, Teach for America, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Children and Nature Network.

— Teach courses in small business marketing, online marketing, social media, direct mail marketing for various organizations in the region.

Welcome

A demonstration.

Three keys1) Timeliness — 2) Purpose — 3) Clarity

1) Timeliness — 2) Purpose — 3) Clarity

Customers, in situations that could involve high emotions, are expecting you to quickly and efficiently solve their problems within only a few minutes.

1) Timeliness — 2) Purpose — 3) Clarity

Customers, in situations that could involve high emotions, are expecting you to quickly and efficiently solve their problems within only a few minutes.

What is biggest challenge in working with eChat customers?

TimelinessFrom first response to the final signoff, you will be on the clock.● On average, users stay on a website for 2 minutes.

● Users will wait, on average, 30 seconds for a website to load.

● Users will scan a search results page, on average for 10 seconds.

There is are entire businesses built around responding to user requests to websites and ensuring that a client’s message is delivered within these time constraints.

PurposeExpect your customers will be coming to you with some level of heightened emotion.

● Anger

● Frustration

● Anxiety

It will be your challenge to determine the ultimate purpose of the exchange through the emotion.

ClarityYou are the expert, but you will need to take extra care to explain your process and how you are resolving their request.

The average reading level of typical internet users is at a 6th grade reading level.

A positive users experience rests in your ability to provide clear, quick answers.

Before the eChatDeveloping a plan

Before the eChatUnderstand the pieces that create a successful eChat interaction.

Before the eChat

Understand the pieces that create a successful eChat interaction.

● Greeting (emotional response)● Beginning of chat interaction● Questioning/Discussion● Answer● Closing

Before the eChat1) Identify goals and priorities

Develop a set of goals for each eChat session and the eChat reps.

These should be written and reviewed on a regular basis.

Before the eChat2) Identify common customer segments

This might fall more with your marketing or customer service departments, but it will be important data to match with your chat data.

Different segments will interact in different ways and expect different things (Guiding, nurturing, teaching, tell-it-how-it-is mentality).

Before the eChat3) Develop pre-written interactions and answers

— Understand the 80-20 rule and follow it as closely as possible.

— Develop responses based on keywords and FAQ. You can also develop emotional responses based on previous interactions.

— Review (along with goals) how pre-written responses are received or how they help/hurt a conversation.

Before the eChat

DO NOT discount the 20 percent of original human interaction.

Before the eChat4) Know your product (or know who knows your product)

Despite the time requirements and speed at which these conversations might go, it is not required that you memorize everything.

Create a system where you know how to search, inquire and pull records quickly.

During the eChatBest Practices and Etiquette.

During the eChat1) Respond immediately - even if it is only a greeting.

An eChat user will remain on the line (on average) for 30 seconds before logging off.

Respond FIRST to the emotion of the chat with empathy, when appropriate.

During the eChatDuring the eChat

During the eChat2) NEVER use abbreviations, emoticons, acronyms or 1337 (leet) speak.

If you would not send it in an email to your client, do not use it in an eChat.

“LOL, all ur $$$ are belong to us.”

During the eChat3) “Speak” with a positive, polite and upbeat attitude toward your own company.

Don’t belittle and mock how your company does something (even if you disagree) with users as an attempt to connect with them or get them to do something.

During the eChat4) DO NOT engage in negative or hateful speech from customers.

Just because they are customers does not give them the right to call you names, harass you or ask you personal questions.

Develop a set of rules for empowerment ahead of time and make them clear to all eChat reps.

During the eChat5) Explain everything you are doing.

It is OK to put someone on hold, but remember to:

● Tell the users what you are going to do.

● Explain what you will be doing (speaking with a supervisor, researching, pulling a record)

● Tell them how long it will take.

● Check in if it takes longer than the time you originally stated.

● Apologize and thank the user for remaining online regardless of how long you were away.

During the eChat6) ALWAYS ask if it is OK to send a user a URL.

Only send URLs to trusted sites or pages within your own website.

During the eChat7) Establish a transfer protocol.

● Let the user know that you will need to transfer them.

● Tell them where they will be transferred

● Tell them why are being transferred.

During the eChat8) Keep gaps in interactions to less than 2 minutes regardless of who spoke/wrote last.

This is important in keeping the chat flowing and moving forward (despite any possible technical hurdles).

During the eChat9) Be clear when you are signing off and ensure that your user had their questions answered fully.

During the eChatAn eChat, like a story, should have a:

● Beginning

● Middle

● End

During the eChat

Understand that your eChat interaction can help or hurt your brand’s reputation.

Whether you bring your eChat to a successful resolution, your interaction is what is key.

How to say it.Proper tone, grammar and spelling.

How to say it.

Misspelled words, improper use of grammar, the use of slang or emoticons can all have a negative influence on your customer’s experience during your interaction.

Credibility - Credibility - Credibility.

How to say it.REMEMBER!

● We are only writing at a 6th grade level.

● Don’t feel like you have to speak differently or in another voice just to interact with your customers.

● They selected the eChat to speak with a person, not a robot.

How to say it.Recommended reading:

Elements of StyleStrunk and White

Eats, Shoots, LeavesLynne Truss

Associate Press Style BookAssociated Press

How to say it.When you are left with only text, then you must focus exclusively on the words you use:

● No body language.

● No vocal intonation.

● No indication of active listening.

● No clear indication that you are actively working on their problem.

How to say it.Sarcasm, jokes and humor should be avoided.

Try to recall the last time you received an email that you thought was rude - did you apply that person’s voice to the email or you own?

How to say it.Journal of Psychology 2012

● People think that 97% of the time their sarcastic comments in emails would be detected by those that read it.

● The truth is that only 84% of sarcastic statements in emails are picked up on.

How to say it.Researchers asked people to come up with two one-sentence emails about a topic. They were:

● I do not like first dates.

● I really enjoy dating because I like feeling as self conscious and inadequate as possible.

Then they asked people to anticipate how a receiver would interpret their sentences. Finally, they had the receiver interpret the sentences as sarcastic, or not. People thought that 97% of their sarcastic sentences would be obvious to the other person. That was only true about 84% of the time, and they put this down to egocentrism.

How to say it.How do we set the right tone for any eChat?

● Read your responses out loud to yourself.

● Remain professional and unemotional in your responses - Just The Facts.

● Do not feel like you cannot repeat yourself, but do not point out that you are repeating yourself.

Spellcheck?Know its limitations.

Pop Quiz

Take the next few minutes to correct as many of the errors that you can find in the handout.

Spellcheck’s limitationsThere are words that Spellcheck will not highlight for you simply because you spelled them correctly but are using them incorrectly.

● Your, You’re

● Their, There, They’re

● To, Two, Too

● Principle, principal

● Profit, prophet

● Sum, Some

Spellcheck’s limitations

Spellcheck will NOT check your grammar.

Effective proofing“The difference between the almost-right word & the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between the lightning-bug & the lightning.”

- Mark Twain

Effective proofing

1) Give it a rest.If time allows, set your text aside for a few hours (or days) after you've finished composing, and then proofread it with fresh eyes. Rather than remember the perfect paper you meant to write, you're more likely to see what you've actually written. 2) Look for one type of problem at a time.Read through your text several times, concentrating first on sentence structures, then word choice, then spelling, and finally punctuation. As the saying goes, if you look for trouble, you're likely to find it. 3) Double-check facts, figures, and proper names.In addition to reviewing for correct spelling and usage, make sure that all the information in your text is accurate.

Effective proofing

4) Review a hard copy.Print out your text and review it line by line: rereading your work in a different format may help you catch errors that you previously missed. 5) Read your text aloud.Or better yet, ask a friend or colleague to read it aloud. You may hear a problem (a faulty verb ending, for example, or a missing word) that you haven't been able to see. 6) Use a spellchecker.The spellchecker can help you catch repeated words, reversed letters, and many other common errors--but it's certainly not goofproof.

Effective proofing7) Trust your dictionary.Your spellchecker can tell you only if a word is a word, not if it's the right word. For instance, if you're not sure whether sand is in a desert or a dessert, visit the dictionary (or our Glossary of Commonly Confused Words). 8) Read your text backward.Another way to catch spelling errors is to read backward, from right to left, starting with the last word in your text. Doing this will help you focus on individual words rather than sentences. 9) Create your own proofreading checklist.Keep a list of the types of mistakes you commonly make, and then refer to that list each time you proofread. 10) Ask for help.Invite someone else to proofread your text after you have reviewed it. A new set of eyes may immediately spot errors that you've overlooked.

DiscussionQuestions?

Let’s try it out.Open up a Microsoft Word and begin a new document. You will be timed.

Hi, I need to order a new ATM card. I lost mine.

Hi, I need to order a new ATM card. I lost mine.

● Be sure to include a greeting.

● Explain your process.

● Inquire about their situation and if you can assist further.

● Explain what you have accomplished

● Provide a clear and positive closing.

You're stealing my money! It is not showing up on the website.

You're stealing my money! It is not showing up on the website.

● Greeting and address the emotion.

● Explain what you are going to do.

● Offer explanation from original question.

● Inquire about further assistance.

● Provide a closing and again address the emotion.

You guys are the worst! I can’t believe you denied my disputed charge.

You guys are the worst! I can’t believe you denied my disputed charge.

● Greeting and address the emotion.

● Ask how you can assist, but be direct guide the experience.

● Explain your process and, if appropriate, the process of the dispute.

● Inquire about further assistance.

● Provide a closing and again address the emotion.

Other examples?Discussion

Thank you.@Mike_Ekey — mike.ekey@mcckc.edu

Further readingChat Agent Best Practices and Benchmarkshttp://www.telusinternational.com/online_chat_study Chat Customer Service at its besthttp://web.telusinternational.com/blog Understanding Customer Personas in Customer Service:http://hd.egain.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/egain_whitepaper_customer_journeys.pdf 11 Best Practices for your Chat Sessionhttp://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/show.aspx?c=87760 Address the pain, then act: 5 tips for a successful online customer relationshiphttp://www.comm100.com/blog/customer-service/5-best-practices-online-customer-support.html