The document provides best practices for engaging in online chat conversations to provide expert customer service. It recommends greeting customers quickly, keeping response times short, informing customers when searching for information, using emotion in responses, asking proactive questions, controlling the conversation while allowing customers to respond, showing relevant products, sharing personal opinions and experiences, using customer context appropriately, giving instructions, admitting when information is unknown, not abruptly ending chats, and sharing passion for products. The goal is to offer the most engaging, informative and expert chat experience.

1. Chat Best Practices Training
Feb 2012

2. Chat Best Practices
Welcome to Needle!
At Needle we pride ourselves in offering unparalleled
expert online sales advice. This training will teach you
best practices for chat dialogue (not the system tools)
in order to provide the most engaging, informative and
expert chat to the customers you advise.

3. Chat Best Practices
Greet quickly.
• Offer a simple “Hi” or “Hello” to let the customer know you are
there.
• If they’ve already asked a question, simply add this greeting
to your first response to the question (be sure to read it
carefully first).
• Some good examples include:
“Hi Susan! Yes, I can suggest a
necklace for those earrings.”
or
“Hello, happy to help you with
boys cleats.”

4. Chat Best Practices
Short Response Time.
• “Response Time” = the time between sent sections of dialogue. For
example, if a customer types in a question, then hits send, and it takes an
agent 15 seconds to answer and hit “Send,” the response time is 15
seconds.
• TIP: if you have a long answer to type, feel free to break it up into
meaningful chunks, then send it a chunk at a time.
• This will allow the customer to receive portions of the information and
know that you are still engaged in the conversation. Be careful not to
abuse this, however, because too short sections pushed one after another
can be annoying.
• LEVERAGE THE TOOLS!

5. Chat Best Practices
Inform When You Are
Searching
• Make sure to let the customer know
when you need a little time to look
something up.
• This allows them to feel helped while
giving you time to gather the best
information.

6. Chat Best Practices
Emotion
• Text naturally comes across as more
emotionally flat than a speaking voice and can
be interpreted as indifferent or rude, even
when that is not the intent.
• As a result, when chatting, remember to
communicate appropriate emotion in your
responses whether that be compassion for a
problem , or a friendly response. Don’t be
over-the-top, but make sure the customer
knows you are “feeling” their pain or joy.
• And no matter what happens, NEVER get
defensive or rude.

7. Chat Best Practices
Ask Proactive Questions
• Asking proactive questions of the
customer helps them feel taken-care
of AND helps you sell more efficiently.
• TIP: After a customer asks a question
and you answer it, follow with a
proactive question.
Customer: Does this shirt come in blue?
Needler: Yes, it comes in both light and dark
blue. Which color would work best for you?

8. Chat Best Practices
Control the Conversation
• As Needlers we are there to offer an expert,
guided shopping experience.
• Appropriately control the conversation,
using answers, images and questions to
narrow down what the customer wants, to
convey information and to up-sell.
• You are the host/hostess for that
customer on that site, so make it as easy
as possible for them to get the information
and products they need.
BUT – Don’t Talk On-top of the
Customer
• Although it’s good to control the
conversation, be sure to let the customer
respond. Don’t type on top of them.

9. Chat Best Practices
Showing Products
• Don’t ask to show products, just do it (in
Discuss This area or Tray).
• Tell the customer about the products when
it’s natural in the conversation using
phrases like, “Have you heard of our . . . “ or
“One of our new silk ties would work well
with that jacket, like the one I’m showing
you now. I’ve just sent you a link to that
page as well.“
Your Opinion Counts!
• Sharing your own personal, positive
experience with the products is the BEST
selling tool. Feel free to share a favorite, or
talk about how you’ve used an item in your
own life.

10. Chat Best Practices
Use Context – But, Don’t Creep Out!
• Use the Needle context to ask better question, understand your
customer and give them better service them better- location,
gender, interests, etc.
• But, be careful that you don’t reveal everything you know –
sometimes even features like Facebook where the customer
agreed to share specific information can make a customer feel
uncomfortable if used incorrectly.

11. Chat Best Practices
Give Instructions
• Always give instructions on how to use
features like links, promo codes, etc.
When appropriate. Don’t assume the
customer will know how.
Don’t Know?
• It’s okay to let a customer know when
you don’t know, or can’t find, an
answer. Let them know you’ll get the
answer and get back with them.

12. Chat Best Practices
Don’t “End” the Chat
• Don’t be the one to try to end the chat. Avoid phrases like “Is there
anything else I can help you with?” as they can make a customer feel
“dismissed.”
• You can ask proactive questions, or give information to give you a clue
as to whether or not they are done.
• You can also take that opportunity to give them a finishing nugget of
information (New products coming, return policy, sale item, etc.)
• If they’ve gone quiet, they may be using your advice to buy!
• Let the system prompt, or time them out, not you.

13. Chat Best Practices
Share Your Passion
• Share your excitement and expertise
about the product. This is a big part of
what sets Needle apart from the rest –
YOUR PASSION for the products.
& Have Fun!