Chat email support agents provide customer service and technical support to customers via online chat and email. Their primary responsibilities include responding to customer inquiries, troubleshooting technical issues, providing product information, processing orders and returns, and resolving any other issues customers may have.
What are the day-to-day responsibilities of a chat email support agent?
On a daily basis, chat email support agents are responsible for:
- Monitoring online chat queues and answering customer inquiries in real-time via chat
- Responding to customer emails regarding orders, billing, technical issues, returns/exchanges, and general product questions
- Asking questions to properly diagnose customer issues and provide solutions
- Walking customers through step-by-step troubleshooting procedures
- Logging and tracking customer issues using ticketing or CRM software
- Escalating complex technical issues to tier 2/3 support teams
- Processing orders, returns, and exchanges
- Updating customer accounts and records
- Providing detailed product information and recommendations
- Following up with customers via email to ensure issues are fully resolved
Chat agents are constantly multitasking – chatting with multiple customers at once via chat, while also responding to a continual flow of incoming emails. They must provide quick, knowledgeable, and friendly customer service through both channels.
What types of customers do chat email support agents interact with?
Chat email support agents interact with a wide variety of customers on a daily basis, including:
- General consumers – everyday customers purchasing products/services for personal use
- Business/corporate customers – B2B clients purchasing for professional use
- Technical users – customers needing help with advanced product features
- Less tech-savvy users – those needing basic help setting up and using products
- Angry or frustrated customers – those with complaints or who have not had issues resolved
- Repeating/loyal customers – those who regularly reach out with orders or questions
- Customers from different countries/cultures – requiring cultural sensitivity
Chat agents must be skilled at adapting their communication style and troubleshooting approaches to the unique needs and technical abilities of each customer.
What types of products and services do they provide support for?
Some common products and services supported by chat email agents include:
- Consumer electronics – cell phones, laptops, tablets, home appliances, smart home devices
- Consumer software – productivity apps, creative suites, anti-virus, personal finance
- SaaS products – customer relationship management, marketing automation, help desk, HRIS
- Ecommerce sites – online retailers, marketplaces, subscription services
- Digital content – photos, videos, themes, templates, music, books
- Gaming industry – console hardware, PC/mobile games, virtual goods
- Financial services – online banking, investment accounts, insurance
- Web hosting, domain registration, and cloud services
The types of products and level of technical complexity that chat agents support can vary greatly between companies and industries.
What skills and qualifications are required to be a chat email support agent?
Here are some common skills and qualifications required for the job:
- Customer service skills – patience, empathy, listening, communication skills
- Technical aptitude – ability to learn and troubleshoot tech products/services
- Multitasking – handling multiple chats and emails simultaneously
- Product knowledge – expertise in the company’s offerings
- Troubleshooting – problem-solving and critical thinking skills
- Communication – written communication skills for email, verbal for chat
- Tools knowledge – experience with help desk, CRM, ticketing tools
- Data entry – for accurately updating customer accounts
- Language skills – English fluency, other languages may be required
Most companies will provide extensive product knowledge and tools training to new chat agents. However, fundamental customer service qualities and an affinity for technology are must-haves for the job.
What types of training do chat email support agents receive?
Here are some common training procedures for new chat email support hires:
- Classroom product/services training – In-depth training on all product and service offerings and functions.
- Tools/system training – Learning the company’s help desk, ticketing, CRM, and knowledge base software.
- Policy/procedure training – Review of support processes and customer service guidelines.
- Demo chats/emails – Sitting in on or observing sample customer interactions.
- Practice chats/emails – Role playing customer scenarios with trainer or fellow agents.
- On-the-job training – Shadowing tenured agents, initial sessions monitored by supervisor.
- Ongoing product training – As new products/features are launched.
Thorough training helps ensure chat agents can provide knowledgeable, efficient service when interacting with real customers. Continued skills development and product training is key as new offerings emerge.
What are some challenges of working in chat email support?
Some common challenges faced by chat email support agents include:
- Stress – Handling back-to-back customer issues in chat and email can be mentally taxing.
- Long hours – Many companies have 24/7 support which requires shift work.
- Monotony – Repetitive questions and performing mundane tasks like order processing.
- Angry customers – Dealing with frustrated, even verbally abusive, customers.
- High volume – Very high chat/email volumes lead to burnout.
- Lack of advancement – Entry-level role with limited career progression.
- Need for speed – Pressure to resolve interactions quickly and juggle multiple chats.
- Technical complexity – Lacking expertise to resolve very complex issues.
Juggling high interaction volume with quality service and technical mastery is difficult. And dealing with rude customers adds further challenges. Strong support from management is crucial.
What are the advantages and rewards of chat email support work?
Some positives and rewards of the job include:
- Work from home – Many chat/email roles allow remote work, offering flexibility.
- Well-suited to introverts – Online interactions avoid phone burnout some experience.
- Fast-paced work – Constant customer interactions keep the job dynamic.
- Variety – Wider range of customer questions vs phone support.
- Simple entry point – Can gain experience before advancing to higher tiers.
- Transferrable skills – Troubleshooting, communication and customer handling skills.
- Satisfaction helping others – Gratification resolving issues for appreciative customers.
While demanding, chat support can be a fulfilling role resolving issues one-on-one for customers in real time from anywhere with an internet connection.
What career paths are available for chat email support agents?
Here are some possible career progression opportunities:
- Tier 2 Support – specializing in more complex technical troubleshooting.
- Subject Matter Expert – becoming a top product/service expert.
- Team Lead/Supervisor – managing a team of support agents.
- Training roles – onboarding new agents.
- Quality Assurance – evaluating support interactions.
- Tools Administrator – managing help desk/CRM systems.
- Sales/Account Management – leveraging customer service skills.
- Writing roles – creating help documentation and articles.
- Product Marketing – providing customer insights.
- Product Development – enhancing the customer experience.
The communication abilities, technical knowledge, and customer handling experience gained in chat/email support roles are valuable across many customer-focused functions and verticals.
Conclusion
Chat email support agents are on the front lines providing fast, knowledgeable service to customers online. Key skills include technical troubleshooting, multitasking, written communication, and a customer-focused mindset. While demanding, chat support can be a rewarding entry point to gain valuable experience in customer-facing roles. With strong capabilities gained from the job, chat agents have many potential career paths for advancement in both support and other customer-centric functions.