Surfing the 'net looking for some...

[george]

...spring cleaning inspiration (any ideas please email me asap, save me the agony lol) for FH I found this bit of software... looks decent I thought... and not too expensive for a single domain license either... any thoughts?

http://livehelp.stardevelop.com/features.htm

I've no connection with these peeps obviously, just thought it would be worth mentioning them to the forum thats all.

[Big_Dave]

Have you tried this utility? If so was it any good? My only experience with these live help tools was a free one offered by 1and1. It was a nightmare as I had to paste a bit of Java code into my templates to get it to work. These tools seem to like to track visitors which is a nice touch but for me the one I used messed my site up a little.

If you or anyone else has a good experience with one of these tools then I would be interested to know.

regards
Dave

[george]

Nope, but I have emailed them asking about installation and got a quick reply (20 minutes) which is a good sign I think. No software needed by any visitors but I do think many visitors crank up internet security up to high levels these days so I'd also be handy if the tracking software was not blocked by some browsers, except maybe those on the highest security settings.

Personally I've used a couple of these lately as a consumer, one was Epson, can't remember the other, but both answered instantly what I needed to know, rather than wait god knows how long for an email reply, or to go through a telephone spagetti junction.

Just trying to think like a (potential) customer does.

Must be someone on the forum uses this, or similar? :D

[Jan]

I used a free live help system for a while, I found it very distracting, I became completely obsessed with watching people on my site, something made a noise when I got a new visitor, you could then go to a screen and watch them navigating around the site. There was also an option of popping up a box asking them if they needed help, which I experimented with.

After doing no work for a week and scaring my customer away with the pop up - how can I help you box - I removed it and got my life back.

So in all I think that live help systems are actually very good but definately not for me.

:-)

Regards,

[pinbrook]

As a customer I have used one of these live help systems, and they work well. I have heard other website owners say that you can convert more sales using this and upsell too.

the only down side to me is ensuring it is manned sufficiently

[Mark H]

This site might be of interest:

http://live-chat-support-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

[Duncan Allan]

I too have looked into these systems and concluded much as Jo did in a reply above that it is far too distracting.

Especially as you have to have someone or some many staff who can just drop what they are doing and answer the chat.

Personally I have used Skype and it works as good as it is for a quick conversation and satisfies the customers questions far faster than a messaging system.

My last experience with a messaging system wasn't that quick with what supposed to have been a fairly large business. But alas the information I was given was wrong :mad: and did not know this until it arrived, I ordered the item to find it wasn't what I'd been told was the spec!
I used to the messaging system to precisely avoid this problem.

Duncan

[pinbrook]

I too have looked into these systems and concluded much as Jo did in a reply above that it is far too distracting.
hummm that was Jan...

[Duncan Allan]

I stand corrected - sorry - me thinks I've had too much Christmas Fayre :D

Duncan

[jont]

hummm that was Jan...

Did you not ask Santa for a big name badge?

[Duncan Allan]

No I left off name badges on my wish list for this year. What an oversight - how could I have missed it[?]

I'll just have to add it to my Christmas 2007 list where it will sit for months and arrive as something completely different - like a shiny new frilly apron! ;)

Duncan

[Jan]

Did you not ask Santa for a big name badge?
Gosh Jont, how did you know what I got Jo for christmas? You are clever.

[Jim Riley]

We use a well established live support system

... the phone.

Jim

[jont]

We use a well established live support system ... the phone.

What's the point in using a system that everyone has and understands? It will never catch on Jim - make users type their questions rather than the reassuring sound of a human voice

[pinbrook]

What's the point in using a system that everyone has and understands? It will never catch on Jim - make users type their questions rather than the reassuring sound of a human voice

if there is "live help" I will use it in place of making a phone call, it allows you to carry on multi tasking, phone calls do not

[jont]

I am the opposite - if I really need help then I prefer to pay full attention - then again there are empirical studies about men and multi-tasking :o

[party_pete]

Men and Multi Tasking do not mix - ask the wife!

[chris ashdown]

Can Goats multi-task??

[jont]

Not sure - will need to get some EU funding to carry out further studies

[chris ashdown]

The Dutch will support it as they like Goatee Beards

[wjcampbe]

Hmmm, I've been told that asking Jont to go Dutch gets his goat...

[Duncan Allan]

We are all looking to communicate with the customer - but really - we keep chasing them and even scaring them off!

They will buy what they want all they need is an answer to a question or questions.

The more systems we put in the more we have to support them impacting on the level of service back to them with more people involved handling questions and delaying orders.

The phone works as we can take orders over the phone and card numbers whilst turning it to our advantage with up sales. Something I'm not convinced a messaging system encourages.

Duncan

[pinbrook]

its another one of those horses for courses situation. Sometimes I simply can not be bothered to phone and ask a question especially if its out of hours and I have to remember to phone the following day. I also hate sitting on a phone in a Q. (I'm not saying this would happen if I tried to call any of the website owners in this thread)

I like to be able to send a message to get my enquiry dealt with, it takes 10 seconds to compose it I then go away and do something else until i get my reply.

Basically some people like to use the phone, others don't. Some people are are work and cannot use the phone but they can use Live help.

Its a site by site decision what customer service you offer.

[party_pete]

Now nearly a year has passed since this thread was started, just wondered if there are any Live Help / Live Chat success stories?

[Darren B]

Pete you telling me you actually used the search function, go easy it might catch on :D

[leehack]

I launched a site recently with live help and the site owner swears by the facility, he wouldn't do without it. I think it is market dependent though on how successful it is, some products need help, however complete or informative your website is.

[CymraegKev]

Now nearly a year has passed since this thread was started, just wondered if there are any Live Help / Live Chat success stories?

I've used the [new] Windows Live Quick Apps for getting annonymous Live Messenger in sites recently and it works very well.

Take a look at : http://blogs.msdn.com/angus_logan/archive/2007/11/07/announcment-windows-live-messenger-im-control-presence-api-conversations-from-web-to-client-querying-presence.aspx

Quite powerful, and free to boot!

Kevin

[jont]

Our new live help works a treat.. they enter the shop.. can ask all the questions they want, handle the goods, get watched by burly salesmen and is open 9.00 while 5.00pm... and not a typo in sight :cool:

The future is here. Now.

[Darren B]

Our new live help works a treat.. they enter the shop.. can ask all the questions they want, handle the goods, get watched by burly salesmen and is open 9.00 while 5.00pm... and not a typo in sight :cool:

The future is here. Now.

Great minds think alike, we have one too, mind you they still ask if we sell plastic, which always gives you a good idea as to what sort of person your dealing with.

D