Speaking your customer’s language

Usain Bolt ran 100m in 9.58 seconds. This world record made him a household name sparking global media interest. This news required little translation, it spoke clearly to everyone. As it turns out, people like ‘fast’, especially in terms of customer communications. In the age of digital technology, waiting patiently for a response no longer feels acceptable. Customers want rapid, yet tactile, communication in their own language.

Here, Howard Williams, marketing director for Parker Software, investigates how live chat software can increase brand value through effective, international communication.

The average reader only spends 15 seconds on any webpage, according to Tony Halle, CEO of Chartbeat. That’s 15 seconds to engage with the customer and turn an enquiry into business. Customers are increasingly frugal with their time, and expect any credible brand to be responsive to their every request. With time of the essence, live chat software can help businesses meet their customers’ fast-paced demands.

Traditionally, communication with customers is expensive. It takes a workforce of customer service personnel ready to answer the phone and dedicate time to one enquiry at a time. A live chat tool, on the other hand, is 30 per cent cheaper than a phone call as agents are able to attend to more than one customer at any given time. With a bank of pre-written responses available to be automated, communications are fast yet considered.

Going global

Language barriers cost money and hinder growth. Smart live chat tools, such as Parker Software’s WhosOn, can help companies grow and meet global demand by providing a real-time, two-way translation service. This means a business can operate on an international level and easily communicate with worldwide customers – wherever the base, whatever the language. Automatic language detection means that live chat conversations can be translated so seamlessly that the international customer doesn’t even realise this translation has taken place. For employers, this eases the pressure of trying to employ a range of language specialists within a call centre.

Live chat that employs translation tools, like WhosOn, also speaks the language of your employees. Operating systems can be set up in your team’s native language, allowing you to hire workers of many dialects without worrying that you’ll need to invest in additional software. A French speaking staff member sat next to a German speaking staff member in the same office, or even in different countries, could both be browsing the live chat operating panel in their own language. This also enhances internal communications, offering operator-to-operator translation which improves cross-team collaboration.

Consistent communication in all the world’s major languages opens your website to the world. In a saturated ecommerce space full of competition, services can’t always be unique —but communications can be. A business with a large global footprint is much more likely to succeed than one that has to restrict its business to just one country.

Whether it’s Bolt crossing the finish line or someone with an enquiry, people expect speed and accuracy. The race is on. Can you respond to a customer in less than 9.58 seconds? Can that response be accurate, translated and tactile? It should be easy with the right live chat software.