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Customer Service

Live chat third most popular way to contact customer services, with only 7% preferring social media

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By Ishbel Macleod, PR and social media consultant

January 16, 2014 | 2 min read

Over 25 per cent of shoppers are more likely to make a purchase if they talk to an assistant online, research from LogMeIn has found, with just just 12 per cent of UK retailers offer live chat support to mobile shoppers.

The research found that a fifth of online stores give shoppers the option to chat with an assistant on a desktop computer, despite a global survey 4,709 people commissioned by LogMeIn in 2013 showing that it is now the third most popular channel for consumers.

The LogMeIn commissioned 2013 Live Chat Effectiveness report found that 17 per cent of people prefer to contact companies via live chat, while 23 per cent favour the good old-fashioned telephone and 53 per cent opt for email.

“A high street store without shop assistants is almost unimaginable, yet that’s the experience many retailers are offering shoppers online,” said Ross Haskell, director of products, BoldChat at LogMeIn, Inc.

“If shoppers need help, most have to pick up the phone or wait for a response by email or on social media. By incorporating live chat into the online customer journey, retailers can give shoppers the chance to ask for assistance, without any interruptions, when and how they want it.”

Nearly 97 per cent of retailers respond to enquiries on Twitter, while 94 per cent use Facebook to provide support. However, it was found that less than seven per cent chose social media as their top choice for contact.

LogMeIn discovered that email is offered by 93 per cent of online retailers in the UK, while nine out of ten (90 per cent) publish a customer service phone number on their website.

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