Businesses, especially the online ones, employ a number of ways to provide customer support. There are two main ways customers can get support immediately: live chat and FAQ pages. Both aim to answer customer queries on the spot without delay. However, both of these tools do not work the same. Let’s look at whether live chat or FAQ is better than the other.
They Both Seek to Provide Immediate Support
FAQ sections on websites provide answers to pre-written questions. Companies design FAQs based on the most common customer queries the company receives regarding products or services. FAQs aim to offer answers even before a customer has to ask a question.
On the other hand, live chat is a feature enabled on a website or an app that a customer has access to all the time. If a customer has a complaint or a question when browsing, he or she can send an instant message to the company and get an answer within seconds.
In this sense both FAQs and live chat aim to provide support without making customers wait. Unlike with phone conversations, live chat and FAQs don’t put customers on much-hated hold. Even e-mails require a business day to offer an answer. FAQ and live chat don’t lag in this manner.
FAQs are Limited
While live chat and FAQs may be similar in offering immediate support, they differ greatly in the scope of support they offer. FAQ pages are limited to a certain number of questions. Obviously, FAQ pages cannot answer all the questions a customer might have. Live chat, on the other hand, is not limited in this manner. A customer can ask any question and expect and answer. FAQ answers may not completely provide a solution to the exact problem a customer has. This is why FAQ sections accompany a phone or e-mail customer support option. Live chat can work well on its own without a customer having to take additional steps to get better support.
FAQs are Inconvenient
FAQs can be highly useful to customers, but they may not always feel that way. A customer has to spend a considerable amount of time scrolling through an FAQ page looking for a question similar to the one he or she is facing. Even if a similar question is found, there will be some reading to do. This is not an ideal way to provide customer support. Modern consumers want services delivered instantly, without them having to provide additional input. Live chat is the best solution in this regard. Customers can just type in a question. No searching or reading is required.
Live Chat is Timely
The biggest perk of live chat is that it can provide timely support. Every once in a while a problem may occur that is unique for a particular time period. For example, an unexpected defect. FAQs cannot be updated immediately for such questions. Live chat is the best for providing answers on time for questions that cannot be predicted ahead of time. As you can see, live chat has many benefits over FAQ pages. While your company may benefit from an FAQ page, your business will still need live chat to offer effective and fast customer care solutions.
