⚡ In short
- Greet quickly, use names, and answer the actual question.
- Short messages, plain words, light emojis.
- Never leave a chat silent; say when you need time.
- Protect privacy and end every chat clearly.
Starting the chat
- Reply within a minute. Even “Hi! Checking that now” counts.
- Use their name if you have it.
- Introduce yourself with your first name. It shows a real person is there.
During the chat
- Answer what they asked. Don’t paste a policy when they asked a yes/no question.
- Keep messages short. Two or three short lines beat one long paragraph.
- Use plain words. No jargon, no internal codes.
- Mirror their tone. Casual with casual, careful with upset customers.
- Say what you’re doing. “Let me check with the warehouse, one minute.”
- One emoji at most. 🙂 is friendly; five in a row looks unprofessional.
- Don’t type in capitals. It reads as shouting.
- Be honest about bots. If an AI Agent answers, don’t pretend it’s a person.
Privacy and safety
- Never ask for passwords, OTPs or full card numbers in chat.
- Don’t share one customer’s details with another, even by accident when you have several chats open.
Ending the chat
- Check they’re happy. “Does that answer it? Anything else?”
- Close clearly. Thank them, and if something is pending, make a ticket and tell them when to expect an update.
Examples
| ❌ Avoid | ✅ Better |
|---|---|
| Dear customer, kindly hold. | One minute, checking that for you. |
| That’s not my department. | Let me get the right person for you. |
| As per our policy… | Here’s how returns work: |
| (silence for 5 minutes) | Still checking, thanks for waiting! |
More: how to sound human in live chat, live chat scripts and chat support skills.
FAQ
Should I use emojis in customer chat?
Lightly. One friendly emoji is fine; avoid them with upset customers.
Is it rude to end a chat?
Not if you check first and close politely. Leaving without a word is rude.