BT gets chatty with business customers

BT is using instant messaging (IM) technology to allow its business customers to contact its customer service team.

The company has started to use RightNow's Chat application so customer service staff can quickly respond to queries made via its help and support website.

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The service allows BT Business staff to respond to several customers at a time using simultaneous chat sessions.

Staff also have the facility to use 'hot-keys' which provide standard answers to commonly asked questions, saving time and avoiding the retyping of similar answers.

Issues can also be solved remotely by sharing customer screens and directing them to fix any problems.

BT sees the system as an alternative to having to email or phone a call centre, with the added benefit of allowing customers to get on with other tasks rather than waiting for a response.

Nick Witte-Vermeulen, online support manager at BT Business, told silicon.com: "It's about offering a different service. Customers who do use the live chat service really like it."

He added: "It's not a matter of converting phone to live chat. All we're doing really is offering a new channel to a group of customers who appreciate that kind of level of service."

After queries have been resolved, customers can print conversations for future reference or ask to be sent an email summary. BT Business plans to retain Chat transcripts for two years.

The system also tracks the type of questions asked and can add answers to these to the BT.com website, meaning customers don't always have to go to customer service staff.

Witte-Vermeulen explained the service received a soft launch but is now being promoted on the BT Business website.

He said: "We ramped the usage up slowly just to make sure everything was bedding down correctly."