There seems to be several problems with the Live Chat, as follows:
1. When customer/client starts a chat session, they are connected to an available agent, and that agents "Welcome" message is displayed. For myself, that welcome message might be "Hi, This is Kevin. Let me see if I can help you." The idea of a welcome message, in my opinion, is to start the dialog. However, at the point the message is displayed, the agent has NOT actually selected the chat and may not, in fact, actually dialog with the client. If the agent has stepped away from their keyboard (forgetting to toggle the AFK), the client sits in a black hole waiting for a response. This is not a good thing.
2. If the agent never responds, and there are not (assumed) other agents available to chat, the alert is removed from the agent interface, however, the chat client simply sits there. No notice that agents aren't available, etc.
I think a better solution, from the customer perspective would be to:
1. When the chat window is first displayed, display a general welcome that informs them that a "technician" will be with them shortly. Repeat this message ever x seconds so the customer knows that their browser window hasn't hung.
2. When the agent clicks on the chat record, at that point, display the agent welcome (this now makes sense as I have choosen to begin dialog with them)
3. If the agent does not activate the chat, after a period of time, the chat should be transferred to someone else or the customer should be informed that an agent is not available, then given the option to submit a ticket.
For us, as an organization, we look at the ST system as a necessary tool to assist our customers in helping themselves, but also in communicating with us. As a result, the processes of the tool must present us as responsive and the current chat implementation does not do that.
Everything else, however, from my viewpoint is top-notch, so keep up the good work!!!
Kevin S. Anderson, President
Superlative Solutions, Inc.
www.ssiwt.com