ADVANTAGES OF CHAT..

We recently put in a private chat-server so the front desk could communicate with the doctor without knocking on the exam room door (doctor has wireless portable at all times).
The chat is also used for tech support since we monitor servers all day.

What this has done:

1) fewer phone calls

2) even fewer emails

3) more support questions

4) average support question resolved faster

1a) If they have to call, I just lost time, had to say hello, how are the kids.
1b) I tie up a phone line, like to keep them open for sales calls.

2a) If they email, no telling how fast response will be - does not solve time critical
issues, ie: what is this error msg that is on my screen?

3a) Support is now much easier to contact - so lessor issue questions are asked, when a user went months thinking to themselves they would ask the next time they called for something else. Now they ask.

4a) the average problem is resolved VERY quickly, usually we see the chat, shadow a user session, look, review, resolve ... do what we are trained to do without having to hear user go on and on about an issue we know how to resolve in 20 seconds

I love our self-run chat server, users love the communications with their own staff and directly with support department, worth every penny!!!
I now use that as a sales tool - shows how on the ball we are with support, directly on-line.