Like it or hate it, whether it’s scrolling through social media, texting, checking email, or shopping online, today’s society is “always on.” More and more, consumers are demanding that the businesses they patronize join them in that lifestyle as well. According to Inc.com, a 2016 survey shows that 51 percent of consumers say a business needs to be available 24/7 — and not just “on,” but actively engaged and ready to answer questions from online shoppers.
For the HVAC industry, that means taking additional steps to create the kind of personalized shopping experience that customers want. In terms of customer service and support, live web chat has taken the lead, outpacing email, phone, and social media in its popularity with consumers. Live chat is a service that enables customers who are browsing a website to start a real-time conversation with a representative from that company, getting an immediate response without having to pick up the phone. It also allows the company to obtain leads by requesting a name and email address to initiate the live chat feature. Though not all companies offer live chat on their websites yet, some contractors are saying it’s becoming less of a nicety and more of a must-have.