The decision of furniture retailer Heal’s to invest in a live chat function was based primarily on improving the customer experience rather than any explicit commercial expectations, but it has proved hugely successful in generating leads and driving conversions. 

How it works 

Heal’s connects the online customer with a product expert working in one of its seven UK stores – “the ultimate personalisation,” according to David Kohn, eCommerce and Customer Service Director at Heal’s.

What it returns 

  • People engaging with live chat online convert at roughly ten times the level of a standard customer, while the average order value is between 50% and 100% greater. 
  • Online live chat has emerged as “just about the best tool we have for giving leads to the stores, which result in store sales.” 
  • The number of store sales generated by live chat is as large as the online sales generated by live chat. “So, the ROI, which is already massive, is double massive.” 

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Sourced from WARC