Chat support is a crucial part of any company’s customer service. Thus, many businesses and companies look for people who would take on chat support jobs.
A chat agent’s main job is to communicate with customers and clients regarding their concerns, such as inquiries, troubleshooting and other issues.
What Is A Chat Support Job?
The first thing that you need to know is that there are many different types of jobs in this field such as customer service or technical support positions.
Customer service positions typically involve answering general questions from customers, while tech support involves troubleshooting issues with products or services.
A typical day would entail being available for chats during specific hours, while chatting with people who have questions or problems regarding certain products and services of a company.
Some jobs allow the agent to work from home while others require that the agent work in a traditional office.
When working at home, you need to set up a working computer system (desktop or laptop) and a fast internet connection. Your employer may require you to install some apps and programs in your computer.
Duties and Responsibilities
Similar to the work of a virtual assistant, a chat agent’s work also involves a variety of tasks.
In many of the job ads you will find, you'll know that it is not only an agent’s job to chat with customers. There are other tasks and duties that an agent needs to perform along with chatting.
It will depend on the actual job position what tasks or duties you need to perform.
As you read job posts, you'll realize that the job of a chat agent involves the responsibilities of:
How Can I Improve My Chat Skills?
The basic skill a chat agent needs to have is excellent communication skills.
Yet, it will depend on the company you work for, and the position you are filling in what other special skills or knowledge you need to have.
Below are some skills that companies may prefer when hiring chat support agents.
Customer Service Skills. Your job is directly dealing with customers so you need efficiency in offering satisfactory customer service.
Problem-Solving Skills. A chat agent helps customers with the problems related to the product or service they have availed from your company. To do this, you must be calm and efficient in finding solutions to ease the worries of customers.
Computer Skills. You will perform your tasks on your computer so it is only natural that you are at least familiar with using it.
You need also to know how to use other programs that the employer prefers to use in chatting with customers. There are chat and email programs that you should know about before taking on this job.
Organizational Skills. You must be good at organizing when performing all tasks assigned to you, such as finding solutions to a customer’s problems, documenting your conversation, and more.
Positive and Optimistic Attitude. Listening to other people’s problems is a challenge. Imagine listening to a friend who talks about his dilemma. At one point, you feel affected by his problems.
This also applies when you chat with customers as they tell you their problems. Without optimism and positivity, you could get affected and might snap at customers who have a rather difficult question for you.
Education and Training
Educational background is a requirement that the company will set depending on the job it offers. If the job is purely chatting, the minimum education requirement might be just a high school diploma.
If the job has a more technical nature, then applicants need to have higher educational achievements.
Sometimes, an employer might require more specialized skills from its employees so it will provide the training.
Watch this video showing how you could be an effective chat support agent.
How To Apply
If you are interested in becoming a live chat support agent, you start by searching online for any open positions. Some companies post job vacancies on job portals, and you could apply through such websites.
In your research, you may also come across articles that will redirect you to websites of staffing agencies that hire people for various roles like chat support.
Sign up first before you can become part of their database of professionals.
It will be a good idea to look for a chat support job within your field of interest.
For example, if you are interested in animals or pets, it is possible that there are chat job vacancies out there from animal and pet companies.
After all, live chat is an aspect of customer service that is very helpful to any company or business.
Potential Income
On Glassdoor, it is said that the average pay of a live chat agent is $11 per hour. This might give you an idea about what salary rate to expect.
Yet, know that this is only an approximation. Many factors affect the salary rate of a chat agent, such as other tasks involved in the job, years of experience and more.
You may look for other jobs whose salary rate is within your expectations or you could discuss this with the employer during your interview.
How Do I Pass Chat Support?
Keep calm and pay attention: Customers tend to be emotional and frustrated. Most people coming to chat are looking for a quick solution, so make sure you are able to listen attentively and offer empathy.
Empathy is the most powerful thing that someone in your position can offer as an empathetic response will go a long way towards making them feel like their issue has been addressed.
However, it's important to remember that while being empathetic, you should also show urgent focus on their needs rather than wasting time on side conversations.
Work Schedule
They usually indicate work schedules on a job ad, although some recruiters and employers only reveal these details during interviews.
It is possible to work on shifting schedules, and also on graveyard shifts.
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Conclusion
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