Lots of Chat Chatter

Zachary McGeary | October 18, 2006, 11:00 AM

We've been talking about the growing popularity of chat (and click-to-call) as a service tool for several years now, based largely on more flexible and targeted deployments. Chat is not a one-size-fits-all solution, folks. Recent news is lending some proof to our speculation and vindicating the value of automation as well.

Colleague Diane Clarkson is right, proactive service is a big deal.
Early adopters of real-time interaction technology are capitalizing on this more intimate level of service as a (at the very least, short-term) differentiator. And deploying chat strategically via business rules allows companies to engage consumers as they wish, typically at the point where a business transaction or relationship is at risk. While proactive service via chat/click-to-call is certainly a concept worth exploring, companies should be warned that as business rules become more granular the concept begins morphing away from "proactive service" and more towards "proactive sales". For more on this idea, see Customer Service Through Text Chat: Balancing Availability and Value for Consumers.