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Best Free Online Therapy Chats of 2023

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I. The 5 Best Free Online Therapy Chats of 2022

eTherapyPro— Best Overall

eTherapyPro is the best overall resource in the United States for online therapy chat. It’s convenient, accessible, and secure. New patients can take advantage of a free three-day trial, and there are plenty of licensed therapists specializing in a wide range of mental health issues.

7 Cups— Best for Peer Support

7 Cups is a therapy network for peer support that’s based on volunteer listeners. The network provides online therapy chat support all over the world. Users can also create meaningful connections via community forums or private chat with other members of the network.

Free Online Therapy— Best for a Free Assessment

Free Online Therapy offers several services through its partnership with other mental health support websites. New patients can use the platform to find the online therapy chat services that suit them best. They can also choose their type of support system: volunteer, online therapy, or relationship counseling.

BlahTherapy— Best for Emotional Support

BlahTherapy provides therapy chat services with professional counselors or other anonymous individuals that are just like you. They also offer psychic reading services. Professional and peer services are accessible 24/7.  New patients can take a survey to get matched with the appropriate therapist for their mental health needs.

TalkwithStranger!— Best for Anonymity

TalkwithStranger! is an online platform that provides free chat rooms where individuals can remain anonymous and create connections with other users on the site. It’s 100% free and doesn’t require an account. Nicknames are used to preserve anonymity, and you can connect with people from all over the world.

II. How We Chose the Best Free Online Therapy Chats

To narrow down the best online therapy chat platforms, we took a look at what each company had to offer. We based our evaluations on reliable services and a handful of key features that most individuals suffering from mental health issues need. Some of those features include accessibility, availability of therapists, methods of communication, reliability, anonymity, and the overall support provided.

Communication Methods

When it comes to online mental health care, convenience is key. We considered the services that provide various ways for patients to connect with a mental health professional or their peers. Additionally, we made sure that each platform we evaluated offered a 24/7 hour chat feature, or close to it.

Available Therapists

Therapy chat revolves around real-time connections. It’s not like text therapy, where you have to wait around for a response. Not only should mental health professionals or chat volunteers be available, but there should be a means for patients and users to connect with the right therapists or people.

Accessible Care

The goal of teletherapy is to provide care to individuals whenever they need it. We’ve only included platforms that offer same-day appointments and 24/7 access to chat therapy sessions. The platforms we chose also allow users to immediately begin chatting or have minimal wait times for chat appointments. Some don’t even require patients to create an account. They can hop on the site and enter a chat room with users from all over the world immediately.

III. Our Top Picks for Free Online Therapy Chats

eTherapyPro - Best Overall

eTherapyPro is an online therapy platform that connects patients with appropriate licensed professional therapists. New patients begin by filling out a detailed questionnaire to get matched with the right counselor within 24 hours. The counselors on the platform specialize in various mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, grief, relationships, and low self-esteem. Each counselor works with their individual patients to set achievable goals and outline a plan to get there. If a patient doesn’t feel their counselor is a good fit, they can easily switch to a new one, free of charge.

Patients using the platform can schedule sessions via live chat, live phone calls, or live video sessions with their therapist. The entire platform operates on a mobile application, and patients can message their therapist directly on the app. These services are offered nationwide, 24/7, 365 days a year. eTherapyPro is not suitable for individuals seeking support for addiction or recovery or have suicidal thoughts. All the platform’s therapists are professionals with the necessary experience, certifications, and training. They are licensed to practice in their state of residence and hold a master’s degree or equivalent in their field.

Price Appointment Types Accepts Insurance Therapists on Staff
Free three-day trial
$30 per live session
$100 for four live sessions
$40 per month for unlimited counseling		 Live chat
Live video
Phone call		 No Not mentioned

What Patients Are Saying
Both first-time patients and veteran users like and do well with eTherapyPro’s services. One user’s testimonial says, “I am so glad I found this app! It’s been a God-Send, to say the least. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone to collect yourself. The counselors offered are wonderful, caring, and very understanding. They’ve provided me with very useful materials to work with within our sessions. They are very well educated in their field and very knowledgeable and have a counselor for every person’s needs. Great counselors that provide amazing advice and it’s great if you don’t have time or want to sit down face to face with a counselor or want more privacy.”

7 Cups — Best for Peer Support

7 Cups began in 2013, and since then, it has reached over 53 million people in 189 countries. The free telehealth platform is also the winner of the Stanford Medicine X Health Care Design Award and is supported by peer-reviewed publications such as the Journal of Mental Health, the Journal of Medical Internet Research, and the Journal of Internet Interventions.

7 Cups operates as a network of trained volunteer listeners who provide emotional support through live online chat. The services offered are 100% free and anonymous to make talking to a volunteer more comfortable. All volunteers must complete an advanced online course that focuses on compassionate communication developed by the creators of 7 Cups.

New users seeking emotional support can search the platform for active listeners who have a similar background, have had similar experiences, or specialize in specific issues. To demonstrate the listeners’ dedication and progress on the platform, they receive cheers, badges, and compassion hearts for the users to see. The volunteers are also classified into 27 levels of expertise, ranging from newbie to advanced.

The platform is focused on building a community for individuals seeking mental health support. It offers community chat rooms and forums for a large variety of issues, including anxiety, depression, relationship issues, and LGBTQ+ related issues, and it has community forums dedicated to adolescents between 13 and 17. 7 Cups is a mobile application that’s free to download and join. Its community forums and online chat option are free, and individuals can choose to purchase sessions with licensed professional therapists.

Price Appointment Types Accepts Insurance Therapists on Staff
Free
$150 per month for unlimited messaging		 Not applicable No 180

What Patients Are Saying
Many users who signed up for emotional support are very happy with the mobile platform. One user mentioned, “7 cups is an amazing site where people can find emotional support no matter what time so 24/7. Many people in this world do not have access to emotional support for different reasons, one of which is that their finances do not allow them to get therapy. This site is primarily free. While therapists will charge a minimum fee, chatting with a trained listener is at no cost, as are the various activities offered. The site helps those who want to get help and improve their life.”

Free Online Therapy — Best for Free Assessment

Free Online Therapy is an online mental health platform that’s completely free to join, and it also has paid sessions with experienced licensed therapists. The platform offers counseling for struggling individuals and couples with relationship issues. On the platform, you can find free counseling chat rooms with volunteer members that are available 24/7. You can also sign up for sessions with a licensed therapist as an individual or couple.

All therapists offering services on the platform are licensed professionals who work for the mobile application known as BetterHelp. New patients must fill out a detailed questionnaire to be assessed and matched with a suitable therapist. Once new patients are matched with their therapist, they can start a seven-day free trial for private sessions. If the patients find that their therapist isn’t right for them, it’s easy — and encouraged — to make the switch until they find the right one. Couples seeking relationship counseling can also take advantage of the seven-day trial for private sessions.

Free Online Therapy also provides the necessary resources and information for individuals seeking mental health help for PTSD, suicidal thoughts, and crisis support. Other resources include a blog page with articles covering a wide range of mental health topics, including tips on guided meditation, reducing anxiety, and managing depression.

Since its beginnings, the BetterHelp platform that provides Free Online Therapy with licensed counselors has seen success in telehealth and has been featured in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Chicago Tribune, and Entrepreneur magazine.

Price Appointment Types Accepts Insurance Therapists on Staff
Free to chat with volunteers and community
Free seven-day trial for individual and relationship counseling
$35-$75 per week for unlimited messaging with a therapist and phone and video sessions		 Chat
Phone and video sessions		 Not mentioned for Free Online Therapy
*BetterHelp may take certain types of insurance		 Not mentioned for Free Online Therapy, but BetterHelp employs more than 2,000 licensed therapists

What Patients Are Saying
Many users on Free Online Therapy and BetterHelp have seen tremendous progress in their mental health journeys. One user writes, “it’s an amazing therapy platform. I’ve been using it since March and I wish I found it sooner. I love that I can be in the comfort of my own home and meet with my therapist every week and the customer service is amazing. If financial assistance is something you need they are happy to help and I greatly appreciate that.”

BlahTherapy — Best for Emotional Support

BlahTherapy is an online telehealth platform offering therapist sessions, online emotional support chat rooms, and psychic readings. Patients can choose to chat with their peers anonymously or be listeners using the free Chat With Strangers tool. Online therapy sessions are available 24/7 for a low fee. The licensed therapists on the platform specialize in a range of mental health support issues, including depression, relationships, stress and anxiety, grief, parenting issues, LGBTQ+ struggles, marital issues, addiction recovery, eating disorders, low self-esteem, abuse, personality disorders, and personal development.

New patients seeking professional mental health support can sign up and fill out a detailed questionnaire that matches them with one of over 2,000 licensed and experienced therapists. The licensed therapists found on BlahTherapy are sourced from the BetterHelp platform and have gone through rigorous training and field testing to ensure that individuals get the best online mental health support. The fee to enter sessions with a licensed therapist includes unlimited messaging and live phone and video chat sessions. Individuals are allotted a certain number of live sessions with their therapist per the basic fee but can make additional appointments at cost.

BlahTherapy also has groups and forums where individuals can come together for emotional support. This feature doesn’t require registration and is 100% free. The BlahTherapy platform is available worldwide and has been featured in online publications such as Mashable, The Huffington Post, and Psych Central. The platform also provides additional support and resources through its blog page. Here individuals can read articles about coping with stress, depression, anxiety, and more.

Price Appointment Types Accepts Insurance Therapists on Staff
Free to chat with strangers
$60-$80 per month for professional therapy messaging and live sessions through BetterHelp		 Chat
Live phone, chat, and video sessions with licensed therapists		 No
*BetterHelp may take certain types of insurance		 No
*Licensed therapists are sourced through the BetterHelp platform

What Patients Are Saying
Most patients have found BlahTherapy to be a useful tool for getting emotional support. One user comments. “The listeners are the key of course. If you’re lucky enough to find a good listener, they’ll give you good advice. I do recommend the site. I’ve personally benefited from this site for anyone who wishes to anonymously (for free) and expert advice (for a fee) vent their feelings. No problem is too small. No sadness is too hard to overcome. This site is helping people. No doubt about that.”

TalkwithStranger! — Best for Anonymity

TalkwithStranger! is a platform that provides a multitude of private chat rooms for people all over the world. There’s no signup, registration, or questionnaire to fill out before interacting with others. To start chatting, individuals choose a nickname to remain completely anonymous and then select the type of chat room they want to enter. The platform offers group chat rooms, private chat rooms, voice chat rooms, and video chat rooms.

TalkwithStranger! differs from the other platforms on this list in that it’s not a designated counseling app. The platform aims to offer a place where strangers can come together and talk about anything in the world, including their problems. People can join networks with other like-minded individuals using features such as follow, upvote, comment, and reply. The platform also allows participants to create their own profiles, save their chat histories, send photos and videos, and join interested groups.

While there are no licensed therapists on the TalkwithStranger! platform, there are plenty of resources on a variety of topics, including mental health and wellness. There are also explicit rules on the site to keep the chat rooms safe and family-friendly. Hate speech, offensive content, and anything similar is reported immediately, followed by a ban from the site.

Price Appointment Types Accepts Insurance Therapists on Staff
Completely Free No No No

What Patients Are Saying
Most of the reviewers for the TalkwithStranger! platform are not individuals seeking mental health support. Most users refer to the platform as a “dating site” or a “friendship site” rather than an emotional and mental health support site. While this platform may not be a viable option for those truly in need of a mental health professional’s counseling, there’s something to be said about conversing with strangers to gain a different perspective on your struggles and issues.

IV. Free Online Therapy Chat FAQs

What is free online therapy chat?

Online therapy chat is a way for patients to chat with a licensed therapist using their computer or mobile device. The most common means of treatment include messaging, live chat, video chat, and phone calls.

The goal of online therapy chatting, in general, is to provide necessary and accessible mental health support services to individuals regardless of their geographical location, finances, and physical state. Many online therapy chat platforms are nonprofit based or run by volunteers with a background in psychology. They also take the form of peer-support chat rooms that are completely free.

Is free online therapy chat effective?

Online therapy chat is generally most effective for providing emotional support. Not all sites are equipped to handle severe cases such as addiction or suicidal tendencies. However, certain platforms source professionals to lend support for more severe cases and can carry out cognitive behavioral therapy sessions successfully.

Many studies have proven the efficacy of online therapy sessions for depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders. Attending a therapy session in a person’s home where they’re most comfortable adds to the positive impacts.

What are the benefits of free online therapy chat?

Online therapy chat provides an accessible resource for emotional support. It’s safe, secure, and both licensed professionals and peer volunteers are trained to offer emotional support.

Patients have a tremendous choice of licensed therapists, making it much easier to find someone qualified to meet their needs. They can also switch therapists at any time without an awkward face-to-face conversation.

Because online therapy chat is a mobile application, there’s more flexibility in scheduling. Patients also have the option to remain anonymous and choose the type of session they want.

How much does online therapy chat cost?

The costs of online therapy chat depend on the platform. Some platforms have free trials so new patients can get a feel for a live session. For ongoing therapy, individuals are expected to pay per session or on a subscription basis.

For example, 7 Cups charges $150 per month, while eTherapyPro charges $30 per session. Other platforms may charge more or less depending on what they offer, but there are typically a handful of options. Regardless of the costs, online therapy chat costs less than in-person therapy, which can range up to $250 per hour.

Start searching for your online counselor now!

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Supportive Online Chat Rooms in 2022: Your Choices

Need a supportive online chat room to talk and let things out? Look no further. Here’s a breakdown of the internet’s most supportive chat rooms, and what each has to offer.

Why get peer support in a chat room?

Your options for mental health support depend on your resources. And those of us who need help with depression and anxiety don’t often have a lot of resources for feeling better. We want to feel better right now, and we don’t have a lot of time or money to make that happen.

Unfortunately, the most well-known mental health resource, therapy, isn’t even available to many who need it. It’s definitely a helpful tool for mental health struggles, but in-person therapy takes time, energy, transportation, logistics, calendar space, and uh — money.

In-person support groups can be a helpful alternative to talk therapy, but logistics may still pose a problem, and you can’t access them on-demand, in the moment when you’re actually struggling.

You need to find a resource that checks all your boxes, off the bat: affordability, accessibility, quality, and efficacy. That’s where online peer support comes in.

A supportive online chat room can be your lifeline for mental health maintenance, so if you’re going to do it, do it right. The only problem is, there are so many choices!

Top options for supportive chat rooms

To make your choice easier, we laid out the top supportive chat rooms, below.

Discord servers

Discord servers can be run by anyone and often allow anyone to join the chat. These chats can be topic-specific, but ‘free’ might mean a free-for-all. You have to rely on finding the right group for your specific struggle. And unfortunately, just because a group exists, doesn’t mean it will be active or helpful.

For instance, you might go to a ‘relationship issues’ chat to talk about your cheating boyfriend, only to find a bunch of boyfriends discussing their own infidelity.

Ideally, you’d just be automatically put with people who get your current struggle (like what happens in Supportiv chats). If you might feel easily triggered, prefer a more well-controlled space, or want to feel completely understood, keep looking.

Whisper

In one sentence: lots of potentially triggering, hypersexual content, and little actual support. You can get things off your chest, but you won’t really feel less alone… and you might pick up a few more pieces of baggage on the way. There’s no structure for who responds to you or how; it can feel isolating to share a deep, dark secret, only to get no reassurance, or worse, negative feedback.

7cups

7cups is a resource with much room for improvement. It has had reports of improper moderator behavior during chats – and the company’s use of personal data is also in question (both of which, the State of California is currently reviewing).

At Supportiv, there is always at least one real, live person to talk with you.

When you’re looking for a supportive chat room, a group moderator keeps the conversation on track. But you also need it to be a well-trained moderator — otherwise, they either won’t be able to bring the group together, or they might share too much, dominate the group, or get downright creepy.

Something to consider: Moderator Quality

Nothing feels worse than seeking support, only to feel unheard. Because of that, some supportive chat room sites recruit more experienced moderators, and train them more – which means a smoother, safer, more helpful experience for you.

Take Supportiv as an example: Supportiv’s moderators are Psychology undergraduates who, in addition to their comprehensive training, are given tools to share cutting-edge information that may help you feel better.

Supportiv

One of the big pluses for Supportiv is that there’s a well-trained person to talk to, 24/7. It’s not like Discord or other static chats where the chat room is always there, and you can leave messages for when other people look at it.

No–at Supportiv, there is always at least one real, live person to talk with you.

You will never feel left hanging in a Supportiv online chat room. That can be a game-changer for those of us with anxiety or really intense emotions to work through in the moment.

And Supportiv ticks the boxes other supportive chat rooms don’t:

  • Their technology takes the effort out of relating. You don’t have to search and comb through pages to find the right spot to vent — you’re automatically connected with people who already relate to the same struggle, so it never feels like you’re working to feel heard.
  • Moderators are extensively trained to give everyone the best experience–they’re just real folks who want to understand and help.
  • Chat rooms are moderated in realtime–keeping trolls and insensitive people out, while keeping the discussion on track. This avoids unexpected triggering or feelings of isolation.

Notes From Supportiv Users

The advantages of this online chat room peer support model show: peer support at Supportiv helps people regroup and feel less hopeless.

“I got on the app feeling super sad and depressed. At first it felt nice to speak anonymously about how I felt, and have people respond to me. However, what really helped me was being able to respond to other people, and make them feel better as well!”

“I feel amazing. Just having someone to listen can make a huge difference. And it’s open 24 hours.”

“Great way to get to know people and share thoughts, desires, and feelings anonymously and develop conversations with people.”

“You get to tell ur problems to actual people, and they listen! It’s like having a really good friend that cares.”

“I seriously thank the person who made this application, very easy to use and simple.”

We may be tooting our own horn… but for good reason.

So there’s your roundup of supportive online chat room options in 2020. Hopefully you can get excited about these mental wellness resources. Play around with your options and take a step forward, for yourself!

If you’re really struggling, or need help sorting out next steps, there’s someone right here to hash it out with.

More Notes From Supportiv Users

“I came for coming-out issues as bisexual and the moderators were great at helping me find some resources for my life situation, and very supportive.  I am older with a secure career and family and it was great to talk to people that did not instantly assume crisis or abuse.”

“My thoughts are straightened out, I’ve been facing a lot of anxiety. It’s been happening since 8th grade, I used to have breakdowns. Never really talked to anyone because I had problems picking up social cues as well. This is actually the first time in my life i’ve Ever talked about my feelings. Thank you so much.”

“I was kinda nervous to use this at first because I’ve tried suicide hotlines and they aren’t helpful at all, but it’s nice to talk to people having the same problems way more than talking to a psychiatrist who can’t relate to you personally. ”

“You have saved my life for today, thank you for this chat. The conversation was the longest I have talked to anyone in almost three months. Again, you literally made my life longer. I would give you a hug if I could.”

Written By: Christina Beck May 02, 2022

Online support chat for the site

Online support chat is one of the most convenient solutions for customers. They don’t have to search the knowledge base or forums, they don’t have to wait for an email to be answered or a helpdesk ticket is closed, and they don’t have to make phone calls, straining their vocal cords and the person on the other end of the line.

Of course, in the case of online chat, the support person also tenses up, but for the client it is not so obvious, so he feels more comfortable. In addition, there is no need to dictate anything and there is time to think about everything that the support representative will say in order to ask the next tricky question. nine0005

Many companies use ICQ to organize this support. However, the obvious disadvantage of this option is that even not everyone has ICQ.

Therefore, dedicated solutions for online support have appeared on the market, which, moreover, provide much more options than ICQ. As a rule, they are SaaS services that provide communication between the desktop modules of operators and the chat script running on the company's website. This script is a button like "Chat Now!", when clicked, a chat window pops up, in which the operator immediately asks how he can help. nine0005

Such services can provide the following functionality:

- automated call distribution between several support operators (depending on their workload, competence, etc.)

- the ability to transfer a call to another operator or connect it to a conversation

- library of standard phrases printed with one click

- saving chat history for a client

- sending chat log to email

- forms for entering data (before the chat, after or during it, you can offer the client to fill in the necessary data about himself or his problem)

- co-browsing - joint browsing of the site pages with the client

- integration with the ticket system

- the ability to customize the appearance of the chat according to the style of the company

- real-time monitoring of site visitors (who is on what page, what they are interested in . ..)

- the ability to invite a client to chat

- support for popular IM protocols (ICQ, Jabber..)

- support for VoIP communication

- ability to transfer files via chat

- access rights management system for operators

- reports and analytics

When choosing a service online chat, you should definitely pay attention to 2 things: the reliability of the service (what uptime they guarantee) and the security of data transfer (SSL encryption), because clients can transmit confidential information through the chat. nine0005

Below are examples of chat services and their news.

See also: Top 10: Online chats for the site

2022. Freshdesk Messaging returns to the name Freshchat

Freshdesk Messaging has returned to its roots and changed the name to Freshchat , but all functions and interfaces are retained. You can still use Freshworks' state-of-the-art livechat solution, respond to customers in any channel you like, create bots, and save resources with Freshchat. nine0005

2022. Omnidesk integrated with Chaport

In Omnidesk , a full integration with the Chaport service was implemented: this is a classic online chat, an alternative to Chatra, which currently does not accept payments from customers from the Russian Federation.

2022. Freshdesk Messaging chat analytics

Freshdesk Messaging live-chat service now has advanced analytics that allows you to study in detail the types of requests from customers, the volume of calls and other metrics in order to correctly distribute resources between them. You can also analyze the productivity of each employee and help them cope with problems. nine0005

2022. HelpDeskEddy updated online chat capabilities

In the latest updates, HelpDeskEddy team added new features for their own online chat: full customization of appearance (both by editing css code and graphic settings ), sending a welcome message, "quick buttons" with which the user does not even have to write a question: the buttons will help him choose the topic of the appeal in one click. And based on the button you press, you can set up automatic bounces, make auto-answers to frequently asked questions, redistribute the chat by department, and much more. Online chat is included in the functionality of the system and does not require additional costs. nine0005

2022. Freshdesk Messaging OTP Secure Authentication

Freshdesk Messaging 's new feature makes communication with customers as secure as possible for both parties. Now in the bot settings you can enable sending OTP (one-time password - one-time password) to the client's mail or phone number so as not to worry that your data or client data will be compromised.

2022. ELMA introduced the ChatDesk 9 platform for customer communications0004

ELMA, the developer of the popular ECM and Service Desk system, has introduced a new product - ChatDesk - a solution for unifying all communications with customers, partners and employees in a single window. To organize a contact center, the platform makes it possible to connect messengers, social networks, mail, telephony, web widgets and other communication sources, as well as organize work with requests from customers, partners or employees, associate them with system entities, route and automate work with using business processes. The system includes an operator's workplace, a supervisor's workplace, and a mobile application. And the analytics module allows you to set up statistical and operational reporting using dashboards and track key metrics for your company

2021. Channels from Chat in UseDesk can now be configured separately

Developers are gradually moving channels from Chat to the common channels table. Previously, when transferring, only those settings that relate to a specific channel were saved, for example, the “Token” field for Telegram. Now, when transferring, all the basic settings from the “Chat” are saved, such as: delay for missed ones, maximum chats per agent, permission to end only your chats. If earlier for all channels from the "Chat" there were common basic settings, now users can set different settings for each channel. For example, in the Instagram channel, set a chat limit per agent in order to evenly distribute the load between employees, and in the Telegram channel, prohibit ending other people's chats. nine0005

2021. New Pyrus mobile chats for customer support

Pyrus Service desk allows you to embed a convenient chat into any mobile application and communicate with your customers in real time. Now the appearance of the chat is flexibly customizable, so it can be organically and easily fit into the design of your application. You can customize the fonts you want for headings and text, different background colors for user and help desk messages, keyboard appearance for typing a message, button colors, and more. There is also a fashionable dark theme for the chat design. Another useful update is that users can now see the history of their correspondence with the support team on any device. A client can contact support from a tablet from home, and then continue to communicate on the phone on the run - and he will still see all the correspondence. It is more convenient for both the client and support specialists, and any issue is resolved faster. nine0005

2020. Usedesk got an upgrade of the chat interface

Chat in Usedesk got a functional and visually adapted interface. Chat buttons are now arranged in the same order as in the request card, there is less confusion. Full-fledged pointers-arrows have appeared, suggesting in which direction you can drag the windows for typing (up / down). Blocks (right, left and center) were outlined by frames and acquired a scroll: now if the content does not fit into the block, the scroll will appear automatically. Long links now wrap to the next line. The beginning of the dialogue has changed by analogy with popular instant messengers (starts from the bottom). Additionally, the chat played with different shades of gray. nine0005

2020. Usedesk has improved the widget for communicating with customers

In Usedesk has upgraded the standard widget functions for comfortable communication with the client. Now your customers will not see huge and incomprehensible links. If you send a file or picture to the widget, they will automatically be converted to a file. There is also an option to upload image files, videos and other file formats directly inside the widget. The message with the file will display its name, weight and type. The client just needs to click on the icon or the word “Download” to start downloading. Additionally added stylish icons for popular file formats (pictures, sound or regular files). Moreover, the developers raised the file size limit for sending from 15 to 128 megabytes. nine0005

2020. Chat for Webim website integrated with Creatio

Integration of Webim with Creatio CRM system became available — the leader of Gartner Magic Quadrant 2019 in the category of lead management solutions. Clients who set up the integration will have the Webim Operator Workstation integrated into the Creatio interface. Operators will see the queue of requests and information about the visitors with whom the dialogue is being conducted. Especially for this integration, the PMO has added the button "Create Lead", which creates a client card with the history of the dialogue. nine0005

2019. Apple Business Chat is now available to Webim customers

Customers can now contact businesses using Webim Chat from iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch. They do not need to install applications - they can start chatting in Business Chat by clicking on the Messages icon on the company's website or in the application. Also, customers can easily find you in Search on their device or in Apple Maps. Available features of Apple Business Chat: messaging, links, file sharing, sales directly in the chat, Time Picker, lists. Messages from Apple Business Chat and other channels are displayed in the Webim operator's workplace. Operators do not need to be distracted by different programs, because all communication is carried out in one interface. nine0005

2019. HelpDeskEddy accelerated the processing of customer requests via chat

The developers of HelpDeskEddy upgraded the omnichannel module, which involves communicating with customers online (first of all, it is convenient for instant messengers and social networks). Previously, the operator could classify the request only after solving the client's question, now the classification is available in the chat mode - this should reduce the time for processing requests by operators, since, for example, waiting for a response from the client, the operator can already classify the request. Also, the developers have updated all available channels to the latest versions, and the possibilities have been upgraded accordingly. For example, HelpDeskEddy learned how to work with group chats in WhatsApp, transfer additional parameters from all communication channels, etc. Working within the omnichannel HelpDeskEddy allows you to work with WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, Viber, VKontakte, Facebook, Telegram, chat widget. nine0005

2019. Usedesk added new chat features and customized CSI pages

Previously in Usedesk you had to go to the chat page to reply to the chat, now the "Reply" button in the ticket works for chats. The developers have added a new item "Replace operator name with" in the chat channel settings. By default, this field is empty and the system always displays the name of the agent from the system in the widget. But sometimes it is necessary not to show a change in the technical support line when working with a client, and communication should take place on behalf of one person. In this case, you need to fill in the "Replace operator name with" field, the value of which will be displayed in the widget instead of the agent's name. And one more convenient feature: the "Assign to the next agent in line" action has been added to the rules. Now you can make sure that all requests are distributed equally among the agents. In this form, if the agent works faster than the rest with requests, there will be no more load on it. nine0005

2017. An AI assistant appeared in the LiveTex chat

Online support chat LiveTex announced the release of the Knowledge Base self-learning neuromodule. This is a universal assistant for operators and clients based on a neural network. It converts articles, how-tos, price lists, and even company notes into ready-made answers or tips. Artificial intelligence learns from the best answers and every day allows you to help customers faster. The development is designed to reduce the costs of sales departments and customer service departments by up to 60%. According to LiveTex, the development will be useful for optimizing the work of contact centers. The module is built into the operator's workplace by default and contains the entire knowledge base of the company. He will give a hint to the operator at any time and select the exact answer, and rank the rest of the information by date and relevance of the request. nine0005

2017. Apple introduced iOS Business Chat for customer support

Chat with a company representative is perhaps the most convenient way to get customer support. Especially if you can ask through the messenger, which is already installed on the phone. With this in mind, Apple released iOS Business Chat , which will allow businesses to provide support or advice to potential customers through the iMessage app present on any iPhone. In fact, this is a toolkit for CRM and Helpdesk system developers who can now embed the iMessage channel into their solutions. For example, Salesforce and LivePerson have already taken advantage of this opportunity. The integration of this chat with Siri looks especially promising. Imagine if customers could go directly to Siri for support, they wouldn't want to use any other support channels after that. nine0005

2015. Chat Helpdesk - Chat with customers via WhatsApp and Viber

Mobile messengers (WhatsApp, Viber, Telegram) have become priority channels for people to communicate. Therefore, it is logical to organize interaction with customers (and potential customers) through them. Moreover, it will be convenient not only for customers, but also for you. Because the culture of communication through the messenger does not imply an instant response. For example, when a client contacts via chat on the site, he will sit and wait for an answer. And having asked a question on a mobile messenger, he will calmly go about his business, knowing that he will receive a notification when the answer appears. Thus, you (your employees) do not need to constantly be on full alert and wait for a call. And with the help of service Chat Helpdesk you can organize communications through instant messengers even more efficiently. It allows you to organize the work of several operators through WhatsApp and Viber corporate accounts, automatically send the first answers, upload all dialogs to excel, etc. The cost of the service - from 1000 rubles / month.

2015. Support chat appeared in HelpDeskEddy service

Support service HelpDeskEddy now has the ability to support customers using the built-in chat. You can create a chat widget for the site, personalize the design of the chat window. All your employees can work with the chat at the same time, if they are not online, requests will be created from the chat window. So no customer question will be lost. For the convenience of working in the chat, all the necessary features are implemented: file transfer, pop-up notifications, sound alerts, chat transfer (correspondence) between employees - so that another employee can help in solving the problem. Chat can also be used for communication within the company, for correspondence between employees. The cost of HelpDeskEddy has remained the same - 5 euros per month for each employee. nine0005

2014. Omnidesk now has an online support chat

Online customer support service Omnidesk is actively adding new features. Over the past few months, there have been: formatting employee responses, receiving HTML emails from clients, editing email notifications, improved filtering and sorting of the list of cases, the ability to turn off the support center, online chat in the support center, the conversation history in employee responses, and much more. Chat allows you to attach files during correspondence, use response templates, redirect the chat to another employee. Chat history available at any time in the user's account. nine0005

2013. Salesforce and Zoho launch support chats

Salesforce said yesterday, "Customers now want support through their smartphones." Stop! After all, that's how it was before. If something happened, you took your smartphone and called support. And then Salesforce said that people are uncomfortable calling and want to get support online - on the supplier's website or on social networks. Now what, call again? No. What Salesforce means is that now people want to get full online support not only through their computer, but also through their small smartphone. Therefore, yesterday Salesforce introduced a new mobile application Service Cloud Mobile , which includes a mobile support chat, a mobile interface to the knowledge base, and even the ability to simultaneously browse sites (co-browsing) on ​​a smartphone. Moreover, companies will be able to integrate all these features directly into their mobile applications, providing maximum convenience for customers. The cost of the service is $50/month per operator. ***

2012. JivoSite - available support chat for your site

prices have not dropped much. This may indicate real demand and the real effectiveness of such a tool as online chat on the site. It can be used both for sales and for support, and in general, to increase customer loyalty, because. for them, this is perhaps the most convenient way to communicate. Therefore, if your company has not yet tried to install an online chat on the site, then it's time to do it. Because a really affordable service has appeared - JivoSite , and its low prices are combined with a quality product. JivoSite provides a free version for up to 5 operators. It allows you to customize the design of the chat window, connect several sites, install the operator's desktop client (Win, Mac, Linux). ***

2011. MyChat allows you to add a support chat to your company's website

The new version of MyChat , a corporate messenger for LAN, has the ability to create a support chat for your website. The site contains a button, when clicked, the visitor enters the web-chat window and can ask questions. This message goes to the MyChat client of the employee who is responsible for online support, and he answers the site visitor's questions. Not a single call will be missed, all messages are stored on the server, and even if the support employee is not in place or his computer is turned off, he will still receive all messages addressed to him. Since when contacting through the WEB site a person indicates his e-mail address, then later you can send a letter with answers to his questions. The chat saves all this help information automatically. nine0005

2011. ICQ On-Site as a support chat on the site

visitors. True, this service is strictly classified for now - you can't watch it anywhere, but you can only send a request to icq_partners@corp. mail.ru to get a javascript code to embed on the site. How can such a service be interesting for business? ICQ is still the most popular messenger in Runet. And this means that many of your potential customers use it and would be happy to receive pre-purchase advice and support through ICQ. The ICQ On-Site service makes this process a little more convenient: the site visitor does not need to run the ICQ client on his computer - he presses a button, a window pops up with the ICQ web interface and you can chat. *** nine0005

2011. A-ya-yay.ru - let the robot answer support

Online chat - in most cases - the most convenient way for a client to contact support. And there are already many SaaS services for organizing an online support chat on a corporate website. However, from the point of view of the load on the support, this method is hardly more economical than receiving phone calls in a call center. All the same, support staff must constantly sit in this chat and answer customer questions. And very often you have to answer the same questions. And even if these questions are answered in detail in the FAQ on the site - who will read it when there is an online chat? An interesting solution to this problem is offered by service A-ya-yay.ru is an online chat for a website in which a trained robot answers visitors' questions. You yourself can create a virtual character (choose appearance, clothes), train him to answer frequently asked questions (create question-answer templates), program his emotions. ***

2011. Salesforce Service Cloud 3 lets you help customers via chat, Facebook, Twitter, and Facetime -centers + CRM/Helpdesk) are already obsolete. They are built with the expectation that a phone call is the main means by which customers contact support. But the world has changed. Customers want to solve their problems on the Internet - on Facebook, Twitter, forums. They want to communicate with support via online chat or through their personal account on the company's website. They want to see what other users have to say about products. They want to use video calling and screen-sharing to show the support person what the problem is, rather than explain everything to them over the phone. All these requirements (in theory) are met by the new version of the customer support system Service Cloud 3 . ***

2010. Zendesk now has a support chat

Zendesk , a SaaS service for customer support, has added a chat that allows you to resolve customer issues in real time. The chat button is visible to clients in the form for creating a new ticket (i.e. the client can choose to either create a ticket or resolve the issue in the chat), as well as in an already created ticket. When a client contacts an online chat, the system finds a free specialist and notifies him. The helpdesk specialist can communicate with several customers at once in the chat window. After the end of the conversation, the entire discussion is saved in the form of a ticket (if it was a new ticket), or attached in a comment to an existing ticket (if the ticket was initiated from a ticket). Live chat is available for free with all Zendesk subscription plans. nine0005

2010. Salesforce bought support chat

Salesforce bought support chat service Activa Live . This solution, built on Flex and PHP technologies, which allows you to easily embed chat into a website or client portal, allows you to conduct multi-user chat sessions, monitor user activity on the site in real time, and initiate a chat at the initiative of the operator. One of the features of Activa Live is that the operator can see what the visitor is typing before pressing the submit button. The solution can be used both through the browser and through the desktop client. Salesforce is expected to integrate live support chat into Salesforce Service Cloud. See also our Top 10 Live Chat services for RuNet. nine0005

2010. Top 10 Live Chat services for Runet

Live Chat services are solutions for organizing customer support chat on your website (or client portal). This is a very convenient thing for the client, because. online chat is the best way to thoroughly resolve your issue with support. Unlike a phone conversation, chatting gives the client time to think and ask the right question. And, unlike a forum, he does not have to wait all day for an answer to his question. Besides support services, online chats are great for sales (or rather, for pre-sales conversation with a client). Note that in our top ten Live Chat services, 9solutions - domestic. And this is not only because it is easier to pay for them and they are cheaper than Western ones. It’s just that domestic online support services appeared quite a long time ago and their capabilities are almost as good as their bourgeois counterparts. ***

2009. TalkDriver - free support chat

A new service TalkDriver has appeared in RuNet, designed to communicate with website or online store visitors with a support service or an online consultant. The service works on the side of the provider, so it does not require installation (it is enough to place a few lines of code) and does not create a load on the hosting. TalkDriver works in major browsers, allows you to customize the appearance of the dialog box in accordance with the design of the site, and contains anti-spam tools. Although login to the chat does not require authorization, the service supports the ability to organize a list of contacts and saves a separate history of correspondence for each user. Thus, it is possible to integrate the chat with the online support system on the site - you will be able to determine when the chat is initiated by a registered client. To date, the service is completely free, and the creators claim that the free version will remain forever - possibly with ads. nine0005

2009. Hab.la support chat got a new name, became paid

The Spanish startup Hab.la received a lot of good reviews and awards for its elegant solution for organizing online support chat on the site. And now its creators have decided to get legitimate dividends from this. The service is entering the US market, and therefore they decided to give it a more sonorous name for the Americans - Olark . In addition, the service becomes paid. Previously, the creators promised that the single-player version would remain free forever. And I must say that they kept this promise. True, they did not say anything about the fact that this version will be limited to only 20 chat sessions per month. Those. serious use of it is excluded. As for paid accounts, they cost from $9per operator per month.

Support chat or hotline?

Website support chat is often compared to an operator answering the phone. Like, this is the same operator, but only he sits in a small jump-out window - there is little difference.

We at Chatra believe that chat is much cooler than any hotline phones. Now we will tell you why this is so.

Everyone communicated at least once on the hotline. Pour yourself hot tea, dial the number. Nice music sounds. One song plays first. If you are not lucky, then the second, third, fourth will sound. The phone is picked up by a friendly girl with a name that you instantly forget. nine0005

She asks how to address you and what city you are from. You describe your problem and the girl tries to help. She has a screen with an internal knowledge base in front of her eyes, where she tries to find the most suitable solution to the problem for you. You wait, she sniffs, turning off the microphone. If the answer is not found, the girl switches you to specialists, the so-called "second level". You say hello and retell your problem again. If you are unlucky again, you will get to the third level, and everything will start anew. The tea has long cooled down, and the phone is half dead. nine0005

It seems that telephone support consists of only minuses:

  • To make a call, the user needs to leave the computer, find the phone, dial the number. These are several actions, you do not want to do them. If you've ordered pizza, then you know that sometimes it's more pleasant to order online - just don't call.
  • A phone call is difficult to trace - how do you know which marketing channel worked? During the call, the operator asks: “How did you hear about us?”. It sounds strange, almost like “Do you remember what utm label the link had?”. nine0358
  • The operator serves only one user at a time. Somewhere on the line, there are several other customers waiting for their turn.
  • The phone call does not store any communication history. Sometimes operators take notes for the client, but this is rare. Usually you have to retell each operator the history of communication with all his colleagues.

Chat support is different. You can reach it not with your hand, but with the mouse. It is easy to open, easy to start and end a conversation. The principle of communication is no different from Facebook, VKontakte or telegram. It’s not for nothing that all brands create support accounts for themselves on social networks: writing is more pleasant than talking. nine0005

In correspondence, people relax and communicate informally. The visitor can be himself and understands that nothing will happen to him for this. A friendly relationship is established between the support operator and the visitor.

In addition, chat work does not require a separate full-time employee. So, Nikolai Belousov from Madrobots at first answered in the chat - and nothing. At the same time, you can answer in the chat from anywhere - the main thing is that there is Internet and a charge in your smartphone. And the music in the cafe will not hurt. nine0005

Also, the chat operator serves several clients at the same time. While one client is applying a solution to the problem, the operator consults the second, third, fourth. After solving the problem, the chat dialog is sent to the mail.

Chat is several times more effective than telephone support. It pays for itself and sells more. Active invitations work well in chats. The phone itself will not call the client, and the chat can show automatic messages and can help the client make a purchase. nine0005

Output

The phone works well in large online stores and companies with complex services.

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