TouchCommerce, a provider of omnichannel customer engagement solutions, today launched TouchSocial, which enables companies to embed shortlinks into social media posts so that customers can initiate personalized live chat sessions with product or customer service specialists.
To offer consumers this personalized live chat, TouchSocial leverages the TouchCommerce Invitation API and generates special URLs that can be embedded in social posts. Brands can then interact with social media users directly, offering real-time assistance while simultaneously shifting conversations to private interactions on company Web sites.
On the back end, the TouchCommerce RightTouch platform then uses product information, prior browsing behavior (when available), and the company's patented Web-based customer interface to present personalized content, either through the live chat session or an automated engagement tool, such as a product guide. Agents receive the content, which can include videos, coupons, guides, surveys, details about retail locations, and more, at the start of the chat session; in addition to answering questions, the chat agent can provide that rich content to the consumer.
"Along with the invitation to chat, the system logs the source, the user's name, and the original post and sends it to the agent. When the customer clicks on the link to open the chat, the agent already has all his information and can continue the conversation within context without having to start from scratch," explains Marina Kalika, senior director of product marketing at TouchCommerce.
For companies today, the need to reach consumers on social media is great, according to Kalika, who notes that roughly 2 billion consumers worldwide are currently on social media, often for about two hours per day.
TouchSocial, she adds, "is an opportunity for brands to engage consumers where they spend most of their time."
Brandwatch reported recently that 80 percent of customers who ask questions through social media expect companies to respond within 24 hours, 50 percent expect responses within two hours, and 25 to 30 percent expect responses in less than 30 minutes.
Bain & Company also found that consumers who engage with companies through social media spend up to 40 percent more and rank companies 33 points higher on Net Promoter Score surveys.
"With the launch of TouchSocial, our clients have a unique opportunity to turn a social conversation into a personalized engagement experience that harnesses the power of social media to extend the reach of the brand," said Bernard Louvat, president and CEO of TouchCommerce, in a statement. "Truly personalized, real-time interactions can deeply enhance customer satisfaction, attract new buyers, and boost revenues."
Another benefit of TouchSocial: Companies can quickly curtail the airing of grievances on public social channels, moving the conversation into private live chats.
The application supports all the major social media sites, including Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. "Some channels are obviously more suited for customer interactions than others, but we will support any social media platform that the social media listening tools support," Kalika says.
TouchSocial also supports all the major social media listening tools, including Hootsuite, Sprinklr, and SpartkCentral, according to Kalika. "One of the advantages of our solution is that … we don't dictate which listening tools you have to use. We have an open API that integrates with whatever tools you want to use."
Currently, the TouchSocial app also supports mobile devices running on the Android and iOS platforms, but Kalika says TouchCommerce is also looking to add support for Windows phones.
TouchSocial complements TouchCommerce's other offerings, which include TouchSell, for e-commerce; TouchCare, for customer service; TouchConnect, a self-service and collaboration tool for contact centers; TouchStore, for retail; and TouchMedia, for media advertising.