It may surprise you that one in five Twitter users are aged over 50, over 59 per cent of seniors have made a digital purchase in the past three months and a colossal 28 million seniors have a Facebook account. Clearly, online tools are not just for the younger generation. To illustrate this, live chat developer, Parker Software, has created a free, downloadable infographic detailing why the older generation is choosing online live chat applications as its preferred method of communication with businesses.
According to a report by CIO.com, over 80 per cent of people agree that calling traditional customer service lines is inconvenient. As an alternative, live chat is ideal for resolving issues quickly, while avoiding the annoying hold music of phone-based customer service. In fact, no hold time was cited as the main reason for choosing live chat over a phone call. For over 65’s, 28 per cent stated that avoiding annoying waiting times was the primary reason for choosing live chat over the telephone.
Avoiding the dreaded telephone queue is a benefit, but it’s not the only reason that the older generations are turning to live chat communication. When surveyed, 54 per cent of those aged 45 and over believe that live chat is the most convenient customer service method. A further 25 per cent also noted that using live chat to communicate makes it easier to multitask while making customer service complaints and queries. What is more, 24 per cent stated that there was a benefit of holding an electronic record of the chat.
“There has been a significant shift in the way that customers communicate with businesses,” explained Stephen Parker, CEO of Parker Software and the lead developer behind the WhosOn live chat software. “However, there is a common misconception that it is only the younger generations — millennials and generation Z — that are really taking advantage of new technology. We now know that’s not the case.
“In a digitally connected world, more and more customers are choosing chat platforms over traditional methods of communication. Not only is the older generation becoming more familiar with new forms of technology, but also identifying the clear benefits these methods bring over traditional forms of customer communication.”
Parker Software designs and develops live chat solutions for businesses. The company’s award-winning live chat platform, WhosOn, allows businesses to track, engage and chat to the visitors on their website.