Integrate Real-Time Chat Support for Enhanced Customer Service in Open Market Portfolio Project

[YuJun Oh]

Description

Objective: To augment our open market portfolio project's customer service capabilities by introducing a real-time chat support system, thereby significantly improving real-time interaction between customers and support staff.

Background

Currently, our customer service framework in the open market platform only supports inquiry submissions via posts. This method, while functional, does not cater to immediate response needs and may affect customer satisfaction due to delayed support. Real-time chat support is envisioned to bridge this gap by facilitating instant communication, thus enhancing user experience and potentially increasing platform loyalty.

Proposed Solution

• Develop and integrate a real-time chat system within the customer service center of the open market platform.
• The chat system should be designed to be intuitive for users, requiring minimal navigation to initiate a chat session.
• Implement a queue system for handling multiple customer inquiries efficiently, ensuring that customer wait times are minimized.
• Integrate an automated response system for common inquiries, directing users to FAQ or previously answered questions where applicable, while waiting for live support.

Technical Considerations

• Evaluate and select appropriate real-time messaging protocols (e.g., WebSocket) and frameworks (e.g., Socket.IO, Firebase) compatible with our current tech stack.
• Ensure scalability of the chat system to handle peak loads without significant degradation in performance.
• Prioritize data security and compliance with data protection regulations to safeguard customer information exchanged during chat sessions.

Impact

This addition is expected to provide a competitive edge to our open market platform by offering superior customer service compared to platforms with traditional inquiry systems. It aims to increase user engagement and trust, leading to higher retention rates and positive word-of-mouth for our platform.

Dependencies

• Availability of development and testing resources.
• Integration with existing customer service infrastructure and user accounts system.

Next Steps

• Gather requirements and preferences from potential users through surveys or feedback.
• Prototype the user interface for early feedback.
• Begin the selection process for the messaging framework and infrastructure.