According to Catering Insight magazine article by Matt Dyer Head of digital customer service consultancy at Sabio – ‘web-chat can boost online ordering’.

Can it really though? I think it depends.

Here at dishwashers direct we sell commercial dishwashers, glass-washers, ware-washers and other essential add on ware-washing products.

When we engage with our customers the first port of call for them is to Google for dishwashers and then after a wander around our website and those of others, they phone us.

I think, customers who want dishwashers use the phone to communicate for two main reasons:-

1. Usage of phones is more common than key boards in kitchens, certainly the ones I’ve been in.
2. Our target audience prefers the quick and effective dialogue that a phone conversation offers.

The second point deserves more examination, for the following reasons.

1. Effective communication– There is said to be three weighted factors, which make up effective communication, as follows:-
   1. Body language which has a 55% weighting,
   2. the tone of communication 38% weighting,
   3. and the content of the communication 7% weighting,

It is generally accepted that email/webchat can only provide content and so is 7% effective, whereas phone conversations can communicate tone and content thereby being 45% effective. In other words when it comes to giving advice to customers on dishwashers, phone dialogue is best.

1. Complexity of sales of commercial dishwasher – In our experience the process of providing useful and relevant but sometimes complex information, which is unfamiliar to the customer is best with phone dialogue. Backed up with written technical data.

As a new generation super digital literate generation start to come through to dominate buying decisions then this will change – but in the purchase of commercial dishwashers – not yet!