Chat Support

Chat support function is a service that is quite commonly provided by businesses. It is a special chat place on the website where questions will be answered immediately since the businesses will hire people to answer their questions live.

To have this chat support function, the businesses or companies need to have the live support software on their website. There are several kinds of chat support programs; including LivePerson Pro, LiveHelper Pro, PHP Live, Groopz and many more.

Below is the screenshot of the form to create a trial account for PHP Live.

Since it is a live chat on the website, all the conversations are recorded and thus, such programs can keep track of all the conversations and find out the most commonly asked questions. Below is the screenshot of a list of visitors and the questions they asked.

Currently, queries to government departmens are done either in person, over the phone or through email using a feedback form. However, these only operate during normal working hours and many departments lack a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section.

Below is a screenshot of how the public can get in contact with a Brunei government department.

Below is the screenshot of the feedback form of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade.

It would be beneficial if the government of Brunei provided a chat support service. Time is saved as people need not queue at the department in order to ask even the simplest questions. There are no worries of no one manning the phones during lunch or tea breaks. There is no delay in getting a response as is the case with a feedback form. Also, by allowing queries to be instantly answered application procedures will become simpler.

Since it is easy to keep track of the questions asked then commonly asked questions can be answered in detail in a FAQ section and thus, the public can easily refer to this and not have to constantly ask the same questions. This service provides 24hour support. It would create new jobs and the training would be simple enough as a detailed book of information could be provided to the employees providing this service. Any questions not answered by this information book can be added to it in order to provide better service to the public. In this case, the contact details of the person who made the unanswered query would be taken down and they can be replied to as soon as possible. In addition, since it is online, it is possible for the chat support team to work from home which is a benefit of this job.

This chat support function would provide real-time help for the confused public as well as serving to assist in recording comments and suggestions. Users who ask for chat support to locate a certain part of the website draws attention to the hard to navigate sections of the website. Users having difficulty in an application process highlights area where these procedures could be simplified. Due to the service providing the public with more anonymity that a phone call or feedback form, people are more likely to voice out their criticisms which can help the government departments to be truly aware of the areas the public see them as lacking in. Like a feedback form, the exact details of what was asked and the reply to this are recorded. This is an advantage as it would help to act as a measure of how well queries are dealt with. Phone calls and face-to-face meetings are not recorded and inappropriate behaviour by government employees is harder to spot.

The Brunei government should have this chat support function as one of the e-government services provided to the people. This service has seen more use in the private sector but it is a technological leap forward in how the government can provide help to the public. Calls and emails are bypassed to provide this service, which gives instant replies and is recorded in a way that is easy to sort through. This service would make departments more efficient and speeds up how quickly their services are improved, as well as fixing potential problems. With regular checking of the data recorded by this chat support function, government departments learn what the public is confused about as well as the ways they are having trouble dealing with the department. This service combines a suggestion box and a helpline, and takes it to the next level. With this service, the public will find it easier to query information and make suggestions to departments. It will not replace the other ways that the public can make queries but it frees up the employees at government departments to work on applications and procedures instead of constantly answering the questions of the public.

Reference:
Lewis I., More about the chat support outsourcing, http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=1000104&CFID=23967423&CFTOKEN=50411275, Date Accessed: 6th April 2010.

Padurano B., December 4 2009, Top Best Live Chat Support Software for Live Support and Live Help, http://ceoworld.biz/ceo/2009/12/04/top-best-live-chat-support-software-for-live-support-and-live-help, Date Accessed: 6th April 2010.

http://www.jpm.gov.bn/. Date Accessed: 9th April 2010.