When the retailer of digital images recently launched a beta test version of a new Flash-based custom photo book service, it focused on live chat to both assist customers and gain their feedback for product development, site director Herman Klein says.

When digital images retailer AdoramaPix.com recently launched a beta test version of a new Flash-based photo book service, which lets customers design their own hard-cover photo book online for home delivery, it focused on live chat to both assist customers and gain their feedback for product development, says AdoramaPix director Herman Klein.

Our Flash-based create-a-book tool is more robust that other tools on the market, Klein says. So getting feedback from customers on what they need to know to best work with images is crucial to the tool’s development, he adds.

People will choose live chat over a phone call, because they don’t have to wait on hold and they still use the phone for work and multitask with live chat, he says.

AdoramaPix, which has deployed a live chat application from LivePerson Inc., is emphasizing use of live chat over the telephone as a customer service tool. It places a Chat Now button prominently near the top of its home page as well as on other pages, without promoting a customer service telephone number.

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But while live chat has proven popular with online shoppers, AdomaraPix is also considering adding LivePerson’s Click-to-Talk feature as a complementary service to live chat, Klein says. Through the Click-to-Call service, AdoramaPix will offer live chat users who want telephone interaction the option to fill out a short online form to request a call from the same customer service rep engaged in the live chat session. The Click-to-Call feature also lets customers request a call at a particular time. This would give us the best of both worlds, Klein says. Start a conversation in live chat, then convert it to a phone call if the customer wants.

LivePerson’s technology platform also supports Voice Over IP Internet-based calls, which let consumers receive calls through headphones attached to their computers.

AdoramaPix.com is a sister site of Adorama Camera Inc.’s photographic equipment site Adorama.com. Adorama Camera is No. No. 381 in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide.

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