Gen AI explorer | Riddle master | Intent on bettering customer experience + reducing costs
Are missed live chats and slow agent response times hurting your business? You’re not alone.
In a world where customers expect quick, real-time responses, missed chats and slow replies can have a profound impact on your business. Recent studies show that 82% of customers expect an immediate response when they reach out to a company via live chat (Zendesk, 2024). Unfortunately, many businesses still struggle with missed live chats or delayed responses, and this can cost them both sales and customer loyalty.
In fact, 53% of customers will abandon a live chat if they don’t receive a response within two minutes (SuperOffice, 2023). That’s a lot of missed opportunities, and it’s not just about losing a sale – it’s about the impact on your brand’s reputation. In this blog, we’ll explore why missed live chats are so harmful and how AI can be the key to resolving this issue.
When a customer initiates a live chat, they have a certain expectation in mind. The faster you respond, the more likely the customer will stay engaged and give the agent a shot at fixing the enquiry. Here’s why delayed or missed chats are a problem:
Customer expectations are high
According to a study by HubSpot, 90% of customers rate an “immediate” response as essential when they have a customer service question. If your response time is slow, your customers may view your business as unreliable or unprofessional, especially in industries like e-commerce, travel, and tech, where competition is fierce.
Missed revenue and sales opportunities
Missed chats mean missed sales. For example, in an e-commerce setting, a customer may be ready to complete a purchase but won’t proceed if they can’t get an immediate answer to their questions. This is especially true for high-value products or services. The longer it takes to respond, the less likely you are to close the sale. This can directly impact your bottom line.
Frustration leads to negative brand perception
According to Zendesk, 42% of customers will stop doing business with a brand after a poor customer service experience. Delayed replies, missed chats, or unacknowledged inquiries can leave a customer feeling ignored and undervalued—leading to negative reviews and damage to your reputation.
Whats causing missing chats and slow responses
Understanding the root causes behind missed chats is essential for tackling this problem effectively. Let’s explore a few of the main factors contributing to delayed responses:
Agent availability
One of the most common reasons for missed chats is that agents are simply unavailable to respond. They might be occupied with calls, emails, or even other chats, which can lead to delays. Many customer service teams, especially in small or medium-sized businesses, don’t have the resources to manage multiple simultaneous chats effectively.
Inadequate notification systems
Sometimes, agents miss chats because they don’t receive a timely notification about an incoming inquiry. Without proper notification settings, live chat windows might go unnoticed, causing customers to abandon their inquiry. This can be especially problematic if your chat platform is not integrated with your team’s primary communication tools.
Lack of awareness and accountability
In some cases, agents may not be aware of how important fast response times are or that response time is being tracked. Without clear expectations, agents might not prioritise chats, leading to delays. It’s critical to communicate the importance of immediate responses and ensure agents know that timely communication is part of their performance metrics.
How AI can help
AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants have emerged as game-changers in customer service. By integrating AI with live chat, businesses can drastically improve response times, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Here’s how AI can help:
AI handles routine inquiries
AI can take care of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) and common customer inquiries instantly, freeing up your human agents to focus on more complex issues. For example, if a customer asks about store hours, shipping policies, or product specifications, the AI can respond immediately, even outside of business hours. This reduces the need for agents to spend time on simple queries, allowing them to dedicate their attention to more nuanced issues.
24/7 availability
One of the main benefits of AI-powered live chat systems is that they operate around the clock. Unlike human agents, AI doesn’t need breaks or sleep. So, no matter when a customer reaches out—day or night—your business will be ready to respond. This can be especially valuable for international businesses or businesses with customers in multiple time zones.
Real-time data collection
AI can gather important information during a live chat, such as the customer’s intent, issue, or request. This allows your human agents to hit the ground running when they take over. AI can also prioritize chats based on urgency—allowing your team to respond to the most critical issues first.
Seamless handover to Live Agents
When AI reaches the limit of its capabilities, it can seamlessly transfer the conversation to a live agent. The key here is that the transition is smooth, and the agent is equipped with all the necessary context to continue the conversation. This helps prevent customers from repeating themselves, which can be a significant source of frustration.
Scalability without increased costs
With AI, your business can handle a much higher volume of customer interactions without needing to hire additional agents. As customer inquiries increase—especially during peak times or seasonal surges—AI can scale to meet the demand. AI’s ability to manage high volumes of chats without additional costs can significantly improve your bottom line.
Examples of AI and live chat working together
To illustrate the power of AI in live chat, let’s look at some examples:
E-commerce example: Imagine a customer visiting an online store late at night. They have a question about product availability. With an AI assistant, they can receive an instant response about stock levels, shipping options, and expected delivery times—all before they make a purchase. If they require assistance with payment or more technical details, the AI can pass the conversation to a human agent, who already has all the context.
Healthcare example: In a healthcare setting, AI can help with booking appointments or answering common queries, like office hours or insurance coverage. A busy practice may only have a few agents on staff, but with AI handling routine questions, patients can still get quick answers and schedule appointments without waiting for long periods.
Travel example: For travel companies, AI can be a lifesaver. A potential traveler could ask about flight options, seat availability, or baggage policies. AI can handle these routine queries instantly. If a customer wants to change their booking or needs help with a special request, the AI hands the chat off to a live agent who can provide personalised assistance
Agents missing live chats is not a new business problem, but it is one that’s now easily solvable. Agents forgetting to put themselves ‘on break,’ computer settings conflicting with live chat notifications, or simply having mismatched expectations can all hurt your business. We can see two companies within the same industry, using the same software, yet experiencing very different customer outcomes—one with no missed chats, and the other with over 50% of their live chats missed.
Abbie Heslop
Head of Customer Journey at EBI.AI
If agents are missing live chats, there are easy fixes to implement. However, the most immediate solution is to automate some of your most popular inquiries, allowing AI to respond on the agents’ behalf. This takes the pressure off your team and gives your team lead time to address any underlying issues. You can then ensure your best agents are available for customers immediately, while the AI picks up the rest of the queries 24/7.
Trusting AI over your humans can be difficult, but the stats don’t lie. When AI can respond with 90% accuracy instantly, compared to a human agent taking over 4 minutes or not responding at all, the results are clear. This isn’t about replacing agents, it’s about optimising their service with tools that help ensure your customers aren’t left talking to no one.
Conclusion: AI is here to stay
Missed live chats are a significant issue, but the solution is clear: leverage AI. By using AI and live chat together you can ensure that every customer receives an immediate response, no matter when they reach out. Not only will this improve your response times and customer satisfaction, but it will also enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately drive sales.
If you’re ready to improve your customer experience and reduce missed chats, it’s time to consider AI as an essential part of your live chat strategy. Book a demo today to explore how AI can revolutionize your customer service approach and help you stay ahead of the competition.
Zendesk (2024). The Zendesk Customer Service & Engagement Trends Report.
SuperOffice (2023). The State of Customer Service: Trends & Insights.
HubSpot (2023). 2023 Customer Service Trends: How to Exceed Expectations.
