LV.com wins UK innovation award for online chat function

LV.com has won the Chat Deployment of the Year award in the LIVEperson Innovation Awards 2007.

It has won the award for its pioneering real time, one-to-one text based chat tool on LV.com.

The online facility called ‘Live Chat’ means that anyone using the website to buy car or home insurance, can either request assistance, or if they input incorrect information or stop mid-quote, they are proactively offered guidance by specially trained sales and customer service staff. The technology is designed to add a ‘human dimension’ to purchasing insurance online.

Live Chat has been live since late 2006, and has proved extremely popular amongst customers of LV.com. Consumers using the facility are able to ask for a wide range of further information including general questions about the policy, the levels of cover that are standard and also request how they add on optional extras, such as protected no claims discount or legal cover.

This means that customers get exactly what they want and don’t end up paying for cover they don’t want or need.

Because Live Chat is controlled by ‘actual’ customer service agents, it offers an intelligent, knowledgeable service tailored to the individual customer’s requirements and situation.

Iain Case, UK Sales Director at Liveperson, commented: “We have given LV.com this award because their use of the technology is a fantastic example of how the company is willing to pursue best practice to achieve an outstanding experience for the customer.”

Paul Wishman, Head of eCommerce at LV=, commented: “Live Chat is great for our customers. LV.com is very user friendly and users can get a standard quote in as little as one minute but this tool helps those who have any extra questions or queries along the way, to ensure the process is as smooth as possible. The tool is very much unique in that it’s manned by our highly skilled customer service staff, who help guide our customers through buying online to ensure they have the right cover for them.

“As well as receiving a great service, this tool means even more LV.com customers can benefit from the 10% online discount we are currently offering.”