By promotional products e-retailer Blue Soda Promo’s count, it has about 24,000 competitors that sell the same types of customized products that are often given away at trade shows. Because it has so much competition, the retailer has sought to differentiate its business by providing what it calls “ridiculously good customer service,” says Tej Shah, director of e-commerce.

Key to its approach to customer service is live chat, which the retailer worked with BoldChat to add live chat to its site four years ago.

With the site’s $700 average order value, consumers want to ensure that they can get their questions answered before placing an order, Shah says. “Everything we sell is sold in bulk so before someone commits to making a bulk order, they often want to know exactly what they’re getting,” he says. That’s why nearly 85% of the site’s visitors engage in live chat.

The retailer worked with BoldChat to offer proactive chat to consumers whose on-site actions indicate they might have a question. Some of those indicators include the shopper’s time spent on the site or on a particular page, and which pages they’ve looked at.

Blue Soda Promo’s eight account managers handle roughly 1,500 chats with  consumers  each month. By having account managers chat, the retailer ensures that consumers get the information they need and that the retailer closes sales, Shah says. Indeed, nearly 60% of the site’s chats result in a sale, Shah says.