Enhancing Riot Companys Customer Service - Essay Example

Enhancing Riot Company’s Service Live Chat vs. Phone Call Prepared For: of Client Prepared By: Submission Table of Contents Executive Summary Introduction Riot Games, Inc. creates games that are player-oriented. It provides economical online games, battle field, and multiplayer online. However, the company has still some areas of improvement to focus on, particularly on the quality of its customer service. Riot created and operates League of Legend, the widely popular computer game (Preston 2). Riot Games has recently publicized the numbers of active players of League of Legends. The company reveals that there are 27 million players every day, whereas the number of simultaneous players reaches its highest at 7.5 million. All in all, there are 67 million players each month (Tassi para 1). Given its continuously growing customer base, the company should take into consideration a more direct method of communicating with its customers, in addition to its existing online community forum and e-mail support. There are two options for the company, namely: online live chat or phone call. To prevent customers from going to other online gaming sites, there are two methods for Riot to choose that will make the customer service better. The first one is to set up an online live chat for customers that need help from Riot support. The second option is providing customers a number that they could call whenever they have complaints, problems, or issues that require immediate attention. The company must choose an option that is both inexpensive and efficient. The purpose of this report is to comprehensively analyze these two options and then decide which option is better for Riot Games. The first section discusses the need for customer service expansion; the second part analyzes the weaknesses and strengths of Riot Games; the third section enumerates the pros and cons of live chat and phone call support; and the last part determines the better option. Why an Expansion of Customer Service? Every game company needs customer service personnel to assist players with issues, yet online games require a bigger customer service staff. In offline games, players usually require support or assistance with technical problems; for issues regarding gameplay, players can look for hints online or purchase strategy manuals (Preston 5). However, in a live, online setting, these customers want to obtain assistance directly and instantaneously, and they require assistance for a much wider array of problems than they do in an offline setting (Knapp 16). Riot Games would therefore add value to their customer service by adding another option, either live chat or phone call support. What is the Problem? Online gaming companies are usually at the bottom in terms of the quality of technical support. Sam England (2012) stated that “They [online gaming companies] are manufacturers, used to multi-tier distribution and are unused to directly engaging with their consumers” (para 12). Riot Games should take into consideration the threats to its business, especially as regards the quality of its customer service, if it wants to become a global leader in the online gaming industry. Increasing Consumer Demands Zendesk, the major provider of customer support software, believes that there are two main challenges confronting customer support in the industry of online gaming at present. Zendesk’s Sam Boonin explained these two challenges: “One is the massive scale of support incidents that gaming companies experience, as more and more consumers play their games on a daily basis. You can see this from the massive numbers of DAUs (daily active users) that many online and social games have” (England para 2). He then added: “The second challenge is the gamer’s real-time expectations. If they have a support issue, they expect an immediate resolution” (England para 3). The second challenge should be the focus of Riot Games. Growing Global Competition Motivated by greater PC dispersion, intensified use of online video game consoles, and bigger broadband use, the DFC Intelligence, in its Online Game Market document, forecasts that the global market for online games will increase from “$3.4 billion in 2005 to over $13 billion in 2011” (eMarketer para 1). In response to this pattern, a growing recognition of games as a promotional instrument, online digital distribution, and consumer subscription offers are also surfacing as popular developments (eMarketer para 2). Online gaming companies do not merely announce their newest products and/or services on the social media; they ensure continuous flow of information about product changes, promos, new service offerings, and fads. Games with bigger, more loyal fan bases, like League of Legends, are expected to have supporters that want and obtain loads of social interaction, with the convenient, fast, and easy access to customer support (Preston 10). Without a high-quality customer service, Riot Games would face serious threats from its competitors. What ensures Riot Games’s survival? One of the main strengths of the company is its business model-- its effort to provide players free access to the game. League of Legends was one of the first games developed in North America to be made to enable free access (Gaudiosi para 4). According to Brandon Beck, the company’s CEO, “When Marc and I founded Riot, most gamers were being asked to pay $60 for a traditional game-in-a-box to be played on consoles or PCs” (Gaudiosi para 4). The company has also spent a huge amount of money in e-sports, transforming League of Legends into a global spectator sport and generating a massive number of live-streams for the online gaming industry. The company’s League of Legends Championship Series is now introducing avid players to another mode of experiencing and keeping in touch with the game (Gaudiosi para 10). Customer Experience Riot Games placed emphasis on providing ideal player experience. This involve offering game features that are easily accessed and used by new players, introducing electronic sports competition, focusing on new content, and developing a game with greater complexity (Preston 8). Defy Tradition The creators of Riot Games do not have their own work stations within the Santa Monica workplaces. They always accompany other game designers and are available to or easily reached by gamers and employees. They support the value of defying traditions by granting prizes to people who challenge the system, traditions, and rules to achieve their vision (Kong para 5). Diversity The company was founded with the objective of launching a new revolution on the evolving multiple online battle arena game (MOBA) category that had developed from the changes in Blizzard’s WarCraft and StarCraft (Kong para 5). Kong (2015) further stated that they diversify via intellectual property, electronic sports, community, and game play. Expansion of Customer Service: Live Chat vs. Phone Call As mentioned previously, Riot Games should consider adding either live chat or phone call support to their customer support service. This section discusses the strengths and weaknesses of each of these two options. It is important to consider the strong and weak points of each option in order for Riot Games to make an informed decision. Live Chat Online live chat is a way of helping or assisting the customer through real-time online customer service conversation. Live chat enables reduction of customer service response time and enhances the satisfaction and experience of customers. Numerous companies fail to retain most of their customers because of failure to competently take advantage of their web site to instantly give information and support to customers (Knapp 18). Most online users choose live chat to obtain direct, instant support than waiting for answers through email or telephone lines. There are numerous advantages of live chat that can benefit Riot Games. First, quality of customer service can easily be rated or evaluated to acquire an idea on the quality of support the staff is giving, merely by looking at log files. Second, chat can be deactivated. If there is a single staff, s/he can simply go offline or disconnect and change the chat menu into a contact form if s/he is unavailable. This is one of the advantages of live chat over phone call support (ChatToolTester.com para 1). Third, one can look at live analytics to search for the most relevant content. Fourth, customer service staff can easily provide useful links, contacts, or information to the customer via the chat interface (Collier 56-57). Fifth, there are totally no additional costs for the visitor of the website albeit they are out of the country. Sixth, there are no issues with inappropriate statements or unusual accents. Seventh, support can assist more customers simultaneously. Eight is immediate feedback or response (Collier 57-58). Chat is generally quicker than phone call services where one normally have to go through inconvenient lists of options. And, lastly, live chat offers more proficient, quality service. In comparison to phone call support it is more convenient for the staff to get all the correct responses for they can merely ask coworkers if they are asked difficult questions (ChatToolTester.com para 1). The customers would not even know about it. Still, live chat is not without limitations. There are some disadvantages, as well. First, not like email live chat support cannot delay their response for several hours. Second, chat support should respond in a prompt manner. If the staff is unable to answer immediately the visitor may end the conversation upset and unsatisfied (Gibson 113). Third, support is likely to receive prank chats. However, if this occurs often the staff can block the individual or turn on email as a required item in the pre-chat field, which could lessen such form of misuse considerably. Fourth, live chat is not satisfactory on mobile devices. Not every mobile device is capable of supporting live chat. Moreover, mobile users who are not capable of typing in a quick manner would only be disappointed (ChatToolTester.com para 2). Fifth, not every user has the knowledge to use it. And, lastly, not every user will find it likeable (Knapp 20). Users who do not have much knowledge in using the application would perhaps find the experience frustrating. Phone Call Support Phone call support is one of the most widely used channels. It offers a quick and efficient method for customers to acquire support after they have made a purchase, and also allows company to acquire feedbacks or comments from customers. Not like the online live chat, the phone call of the customer will be logged and recorded for future use, particularly for customer service training, which will enhance the service and thus raise customer loyalty and satisfaction (Lebed para 10-11). In comparison to live chat, conversations through phone calls will resolve the issue more quickly because the speed of speaking is consistently quicker than typing. If a customer refuses to wait the support can just make an appointment for call back. Given customers’ ages, older people are not comfortable chatting online (Teach-ICT.com para 3). They choose phone call support and it will undermine the loyalty of the customers if they find it difficult to call the company when they have complaints or problems. Similar to live chat, phone call support has both advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages are the following: first, the customer can obtain instant response; second, the conversation is fairly private or confidential; third, online phone calls can be free of charge; fourth, telephones are easily accessible and they do not require expert knowledge to use it; and, lastly, the customer can get direct, immediate response from customer service staff (Gibson 188). On the contrary, the disadvantages of phone call support are as follows: first, the staff should be available to answer the call; second is the inconvenience of waiting in queue; third, some phone calls are costly; fourth, there could be interference or noise making the quality of the phone call poor; and, lastly, with regular phones, only verbal information can be provided, files cannot be sent (Teach-ICT.com para 8). Analysis of Customer Service Expansion Opportunities This section analyzes the feasibility of live chat and phone call support for Riot Games in relation to five factors, namely: effectiveness, convenience, cost, time, and customer preference. As discussed in the previous section, both live chat and phone call support have the potential to enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction through its effectiveness, convenience, cost, time, and customer preference. Based on this comparison, Riot Games can make an informed decision regarding the type of customer service channel it should add to its business model. Effectiveness The effectiveness of live chat rests in its potential to provide convenience and ease of access to customers. According to the ATG Global Consumer Trend Study, 90 percent of customers regard live chat useful and effective (kissmetrics.com para 5). This finding was supported by an emarketer.com study, which reported that 63 percent of customers were more likely to go back to a website that provides live chat (kissmetrics.com para 5). The study further reports (kissmetrics.com para 5): 62% reported being more likely to purchase from the site again. A further 38% of respondents said they had made their purchase due to the chat session itself. All these attitudes were even more prevalent among respondents who bought online at least weekly. Customers can quickly obtain responses to their complaints or questions through live chat. This would be very useful to Riot Games’s public relations. On the other hand, phone call support is also effective in resolving customer issues due to its fast response time. However, waiting in queue can be very frustrating for customers, even with the call back option. Unlike in live chat, phone call support is not compelled to respond within a given time frame. Hence call backs may not happen in phone call support Convenience The concern with online businesses is that numerous customers are cut off from someone who can solve their problems directly and instantly with accuracy. Instead of watching prospective customers leaving their websites, numerous online businesses have been implementing live chat support because of the convenience it offers. Live chat has the capacity to provide convenient responses or answers that customers are looking for, while simultaneously enhancing substantial gains to the customer service support and profitability of the company. Phone call support is also convenient because telephone devices are easily accessible, not to mention mobile devices. One can reach customer service support through a phone call anywhere in the world. The problem with phone call support is that there could be interference or noises, as well as problems with unusual accents that could make the phone conversation poor. Cost Live chat can also cut down customer support and sales costs. Live chat software has always shown that it can lessen phone costs and staff hours. Two of the most important cost-effective benefits of live chat are (kissmetrics para 6): (1) increased efficiency by enabling live chat support to manage several chats at the same time, hence cutting down the need to employ more staffs; and, (2) live chat lessens total ‘contact center costs; through cutting down ‘average interaction costs’. Live chat contributes to the reduction of business operational expenses through toll free phone customer service. Not merely is adding live chat a process improvement; it also contributes to the increase in total sales. In contrast, phone calls can be free, but not always. Hence customers may find it inconvenient in terms of cost to use phone call support Time Live chat saves time for both the customers and the customer service staff. When one engages in a chat conversation, s/he will seldom find his/herself waiting for as long as s/he might when initiating a phone call. Although the length of a chat conversation could be lengthier compared to a regular phone call, the time used up chatting with support is merely a portion of the time one would spend on a phone call. Customer service agents find it more productive doing live chat than answering customer concerns through a phone call, because they can do other tasks while waiting for their customer to respond via live chat (Lebed para 9). Likewise, phone call support saves time, but only for the customer, not for the customer service staff. Phone call support demands the full attention of the customer service agent thus limiting the tasks that s/he can do while dealing with the needs and demands of the customer. Customer Preference Not all customers will prefer live chat over phone calls. Just like what is mentioned previously, older generations find live chat more difficult than a mere phone call. However, in the case of Riot Games, the demographics it is catering to is mostly composed of the younger generation, thus this problem would not be much of a concern for the company. Conclusions and Recommendations For the younger generation of today, especially for the fan base of online gaming sites, like Riot Games, using the computer and typing quickly are not an important matter thus live chat is simpler, easier, and more convenient for them than phone call support. Live chat will help Riot Games remain updated, trendy, and connected to youngsters. Basically speaking, live chat provides a direct, instant, and convenient way to communicate with a customer service agent without the information or conversation getting interrupted or misplaced. Although it may not have some of the advantages of phone call support, live chat compensates through convenient, efficient, and effective communication. In addition to looking for the appropriate software, Riot Games will have to offer focused, expert training for its customer service staff. Live chat is completely distinct from phone call support, because all responses should be brief statements or answers that are straightforward, substantial, and right to the point. Lengthy answers are a no-no in live chat. Therefore, besides online community forum and email support, Riot Games should add live chat to their customer service chain in order to enhance customer loyalty and satisfaction. Works Cited ChatToolTester.com. “Live chat support software: pros and cons.” ChatToolTester.com N.p., 2015. Web. 29 April 2015. Collier, Marsha. The Ultimate Online Customer Service Guide: How to Connect with Your Customers to Sell More! Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Print. eMarketer. “Online Gaming Draws Global Competition.” eMarketer N.p., 12 June 2006. Web. 28 April 2015. England, Sam. “Games companies rank lowest in customer support ratings—here’s how it can be fixed.” PostDesk N.p., 26 June 2012. Web. 28 April 2015. Gaudiosi, John. “How Riot Games created the most popular game in the world.” Fortune N.p., 10 July 2013. Web. 27 April 2015. Gibson, Pattie. The World of Customer Service. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Kissmetrics.com. “5 Reasons Why Live Chat is the Untapped Potential for your Business.” Kissmetrics.com N.p., 2015. Web. 29 April 2015. Knapp, Donna. A Guide to Customer Service Skills for the Service Desk Professional. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Kong, Jonathan. “Why Riot Games is successful?” Stanford University N.p., 2015. Web. 28 April 2015. Lebed, Maria. “Is live chat any better than phone or email support?” Provide Support, LLC N.p., 11 April 2013. Web. 28 April 2015. Preston, Carl. League of Legends 76 Success Secrets—76 Most Asked Questions on League of Legends—What You Need to Know. New York: Emereo Publishing, 2014. Print. Tassi, Paul. “Riot’s ‘League of Legends’ Reveals Astonishing 27 Million Daily Players, 67 Million Monthly.” Forbes N.p., 27 January 2014. Web. 27 April 2015. Teach-ICT.com. “Telephones- pros and cons.” Teach-ICT.com N.p., 2015. Web. 29 April 2015. Read More