The Benefits of Live Chat
Utilizing the Real Geeks Live Chat is a great way to provide value to your clients instantly. With our tool, you can now chat in real-time to your leads as they are looking at properties, thus leading to better communication. The tool will also inform you when a client is actively on your website, so feel free to send some properties that might be of interest to that lead based on their search.
Checklist for Set up
If you're ready to get started with our Real Geeks live chat feature, here is a short checklist you can follow:
Step 1 Enable the Feature
Step 2 Turn on Notifications for “Incoming Chat Messages from Leads”
Step 3 Configure Chat Templates
Step 4 Learn How to Initiate a Chat and View Chat Conversations
Steps Explained
Step 1: Enabling the Feature
To Enable the Feature follow this path: CRM > Settings > Communication > Chat > Enable Chat
Before you and your agents can use the live chat feature, an admin must enable the feature. This can be accomplished from the Communication Settings page. This feature is included with your Real Geeks subscription.
Step 2: Turn on Notifications for “Incoming Chat Messages from Leads”
The Lead Manager features several different types of notifications that agents can receive based on the activities of the leads in their system.
You'll want to make sure you enable the notifications for “Incoming chat messages from leads”. This notification will be sent when an assigned lead sends a chat message from the website.
To Turn on Notifications for Incoming Chat Messages from Leads follow this path: CRM > Settings > Notifications > Incoming Chat Messages from leads > Email/Text
Please note:
- Agents will only receive 1 notification per hour per lead
Step 3: Configure Chat Templates
Just like with emails and texts, we allow you and each of your agents to save some preformatted templates of chat messages you can send to leads. You can manage these in the Chat Templates tab of the “Templates” settings section.
There are three types of Chat Templates: Standard, Automated Welcome, and Unavailable Responder
Standard Chat Template
This is the standard template that you can create to save yourself time and energy when responding to common requests or questions from your leads.
Automated Welcome Chat Template
Similar to the texting system, we added a feature that automatically messages a lead once they sign up on the website. Which chat template is sent to them depends if they sign up within or outside of your defined office hours. You can manage these from the Chat Templates settings page.
When making an Automated Welcome Chat template, you get to decide if this is the template for During Office Hours or for Outside of Office Hours
Please note:
- If the lead is unassigned the lead manager will send the Automated Welcome Chat from the first admin.
- Each of your agents must set this up individually.
- The Automated Welcome Chat will NOT be sent to leads that have been manually added to the Lead Manager
To Create or Edit the Automated Welcome Chat follow this path: CRM > Settings > Templates > Chat Templates > Create New > Set Type to Automated Welcome
To Set Office Hours for the Automated Welcome Chat follow this path: CRM > Settings > Communication > Chat
Like with the texting feature, you can set office hours for the live chat feature. You have three options available to you for “Outside of Office Hours” visitors.
- You can use the “Turn off chat outside office hours?” feature
- You can set up an Outside of Office Hours Automated Welcome Message
Unavailable Responder
To Create or Edit the Automated Welcome Chat follow this path: CRM > Settings > Templates > Chat Templates > Create New > Set Type to Unavailable Responder
A unique feature with the Live Chat is the ability to set yourself as “Available” or “Unavailable”. When you set yourself as “Unavailable”, an “Unavailable Responder” responder will immediately go out when a lead sends you a chat message to inform them you are not currently available. This responder message will include a link to the Contact Us form so the lead can submit their questions while you are away.
Step 4: Learn How to Initiate a Chat and View Chat Conversations
Once the chat is open you will see the most recent messages that have been exchanged with this lead. In the text box below you can type a new message or choose from one of your templates.
There is also a feature to switch between a Conversations view and an Online view. The Online view will help you focus on chatting with leads that are currently active on your website.
This is also where you can set yourself as “Available” or “Unavailable” for Live Chat.
After a chat has been opened, you can browse around the lead manager. Your open chat window will remain open as you navigate to different pages. If you want to keep the conversation close but need more room on the screen you can minimize the window.
FAQ
Is there any additional cost for this feature?
Nope. This feature of our platform comes at no extra cost to you! It’s free because we want to empower you to take your business to the next level and provide you with every option possible to reach your leads.
Are there pre-made chat templates I can use?
Yep. You can access our pre-made chat templates at the link below:
What is the character limit for chat messages?
The max allowed characters in chat messages are 1024. When creating chat templates, there is a character count below the message field to help you stay within the limit.
What kind of files can I send over chat?
- Maximum File Size: 2.5MB
- Supported File Types: .jpg, .png, .gif, .pdf, .docx, .doc, .txt, .csv
- You can only send one file at a time
Why is the chat bubble not showing up on my website?
This could be occurring for a few reasons:
- You have not enabled the chat feature
- You are not signed in on the website
- You have a third-party chat widget covering the chat bubble
- Your company has the “Turn off chat outside office hours?” feature enabled
Can I send emojis over chat?
- Yes!
What is the small dot I see next to my leads?
- Green next to their name THEY ARE ONLINE! “Green means go!”
- Yellow means they are idle on your website.
- Grey means that they are not online.
What is "Lead Capture via Chat"?
- This feature displays the chat component before a visitor has registered on your website. To begin chatting, the lead must provide their name and select a conversation topic.
- Please note: This “partial” lead will still need to fill out the sign-up form in order to view properties or save a search.