I’m not a fan of calling companies on the phone for customer service. I’m not a fan of the phone in general. Between the automated phone system labyrinths (“Press or say what you would like … Did I hear that correctly?”) and being given the 3rd degree (“What’s you mother’s birth date? What’s the name of your elementary school?”), I’d rather interface over the net. Now, I know some companies do Live Chat better than others (*coughs* … Comcast you’re slow, and you stink). But you have to admit there’s appeal to being able to respond clearly and thoughtfully without getting cut off, and not having to repeat yourself ten times (“A-as in apple, N-as in nancy…..”). In addition, you can have multiple windows open on your computer and do some multi-tasking while you’re waiting for the operator. So that’s why I think some service and product oriented companies should offer live chat as an option.

I recently installed and tested Comm100′s free live chat software on my website. You register for free and simply install the code for the live chat link on your site. I chose the one you see above. Besides Live Chat, Comm100 also offers Email marketing, Web-based ticket support software, forum software, and other features which are all integrated. Once you register, you go directly to the dashboard, where you can personalize your customer’s experience. You can choose from a variety of Live Chat buttons and a myriad of options for the pre-, during, and post- chat session. There is a rating feature so you can rate the operator’s performance during the session. You can also monitor the chat times and lengths, landing pages, operators, and more.

At first glance, the dashboard is simple. But the more you click around, there is a sophisticated back end which makes this software very powerful, capable, and functional. It has reporting, canned messages, automatic invites, and other settings to make your live chat offering professional and satisfying to your customers. And the extensive, easy-to-navigate Help Desk answers many questions to help you set up a customized application for your business.

I’d recommend you try this web application. It has many more features than that of other free solutions out there that I’ve tried. Check it out for yourself here, it’s quick and easy.

Have you tried this software? What has been your experience?

What about Live Chat? Love or hate it?

Volusion Live Chat Software offers live web chats for businesses who have an online presence and need to offer live support to their customers.

Live Chat is a great web feature to include if your product is complex and needs explanation, or if people need help during the buying process. Written FAQs and forums are excellent resources, but sometimes you just need to talk to somebody. And Live Chat is a great alternative to the telephone. It’s a convenience for customers that can give you an edge over your competition and increase conversions.

The free Volusion Live Chat version offers a free chat application for your computer. You download and install it in a few minutes. When you sign into the application, customers know automatically that you are online and available to chat.

You have the ability to chat with 5 people at once, from one department. And you can customize the online and offline messages that people see. You can upload your own logo and your own “LiveChat” buttons or use the free ones provided. Just copy and paste the code into your website‘s HTML code and you’re done.

I installed this on my website for testing purposes. Volusion Live Chat was simple to install and use, and I liked it so much that I kept it on my website. I look forward to chatting with potential and current clients about web and graphic design.