What is Chat Process in BPO: How It Actually Works

Remember the last time you needed help from a company and didn’t want to wait on the phone for 20 minutes? So, you clicked that little live chat button instead?

What you didn’t see was everything happening behind that chat box.

There’s a real person on the other side. Maybe sitting in an office in Bangalore, Delhi, or Mumbai. That person is not just talking to you, they’re handling 4 or 5 chats at the same time. They try to solve your problem fast, stay polite, follow company rules, and make sure you’re happy with the service.

At the same time, their manager is watching how quickly they reply and if customers are satisfied.

That’s what the chat process in a BPO looks like. Also, it’s the backbone of most live chat BPO services today.

And honestly, it’s much more complicated than most business owners think.

If you’re planning to outsource live chat support, or if you already have but still don’t fully understand how it works, this blog will help you.

Let’s go step by step and learn how everything works.

What is chat process in BPO?

Before we go into details, let’s first understand what it means.

Chat Process in BPO simply means that another company (like AM2PM Support) talks to your customers for you through live chat on your website or app.

Your customers type their questions, and trained agents reply right away, helping them solve problems, answer doubts, or guide them through your product.

Sounds easy, right?

But as I mentioned earlier, there’s a lot happening behind that chat box that you don’t see.

When a customer sends a message, it doesn’t just get answered by magic. There’s a whole system behind it, including:

• Real human agents trained on your product or service
• A knowledge base (a guide with common questions and answers)
• A CRM system that keeps track of customer history
• Quality teams checking how agents talk and reply
• Chat scripts that keep tone and brand voice consistent
• Backend tools to handle many chats at once
• Performance reports tracking speed, problem-solving, and customer happiness
  

All of this together makes live chat outsourcing work smoothly.

Most companies think they’re just paying for “someone to chat with customers.”

But really, they’re paying for a full operation that runs like a well-oiled machine.

What does a chat support agent actually do?

Let’s see what a chat support agent’s day really looks like.

It’s 10 AM on a Tuesday. Your agent, let’s call her Priya, logs in to start her day. Within 30 seconds, she already gets 3 new chats from your website.

• Chat 1: A customer wants to know your pricing.
• Chat 2: Someone reports a bug in your app.
• Chat 3: A potential customer asks if your service works for their business.
  

Now, Priya has to:

• Read and understand each problem (at the same time!)
• Check the knowledge base for correct answers
• Type replies that sound human, not robotic
• Match your brand tone, whether friendly, formal, or fun
• Stay calm with emotional or angry customers
• Know when to escalate an issue to her senior
• Record every chat in the CRM for future tracking
• Reply quickly (within 1–2 minutes)
• Keep the customer happy (so your NPS score stays high)
  

And this happens 50 or more times a day, for each agent!

Here’s what many business owners get wrong

They think chat agents just sit and type replies.

No.

Chat agents are like mini customer service experts.

They are part therapist, part salesperson, part problem solver, and part brand ambassador.

They talk to people who might be confused, upset, or unsure about buying from you.

If the agent handles it badly, you might lose a customer.

If they handle it well, you gain a loyal fan of your brand.

That’s how powerful and important the chat process really is.

How chat process in BPO actually works (step-by-step)

Let’s see how the whole process happens: from the moment a customer clicks the chat button to when their problem is fixed.

Step 1: Customer starts the chat

A customer visits your website. They see a chat icon at the bottom corner and click it. A chat window opens.

Behind the scenes, your chat platform (like Zendesk, Intercom, or a custom one) quickly finds the next available agent and sends the chat to them.

This whole thing happens in just a few seconds.

Step 2: Agent receives and accepts the chat

On her screen, Priya, the chat agent, sees a new incoming chat. She clicks “Accept” and the conversation starts.

The chat system automatically shows her:

• The customer’s previous chats (if they’ve talked before)
• The page they’re on right now
• Their customer profile (whether they’re a paid user, free trial user, or new visitor)
• Helpful articles from the knowledge base for quick answers
  

Now Priya has full context, so she doesn’t need to ask, “Who are you?” or “What do you need help with?”

Step 3: Agent greets and understands the need

Priya starts with a friendly, personalized greeting.

Not just “Hi, how can I help?”

But something like:

“Hey! I see you’re looking at our pricing page. Would you like help choosing the right plan for your team?”

This step is called qualification. Here, Priya figures out:

• What the customer really needs
• Whether they’re a potential buyer or just browsing
• If it’s a sales chat or a support chat
• Whether she can solve it herself or needs to escalate it
  

This part usually takes a few quick exchanges.

Step 4: Solving the problem using knowledge base

Once Priya understands the issue, she checks the knowledge base for the right answer.

Example:
Customer asks, “Does your platform work with Shopify?”

Priya:

• Searches the knowledge base
• Finds the integration guide
• Sends the answer with a helpful link
• Offers more help if needed

All this happens in about 2 minutes.

If she can’t find the answer, she tells the customer:

“Let me check with our technical team and get back to you within 2 hours.”

That’s called escalation.

Step 5: Wrapping up and recording details

Once the issue is solved, Priya closes the chat with:

• A thank you message
• A short summary of what was discussed
• Next steps if any (like checking an email or trying a feature)
• A quick feedback survey – “Was this helpful?”
  

She also updates the CRM system with:

• What the customer asked
• What solution was given
• Any follow-up needed
• How the customer felt (happy, neutral, or frustrated)

Step 6: Quality check (QA review)

Here’s what most people don’t know, every chat is reviewed later.

The QA team (Quality Assurance) checks random chats to make sure:

• The right information was given
• The brand tone stayed consistent
• The customer was treated nicely
• Responses were quick
• Grammar and tone were professional
  

If Priya made a mistake, she gets feedback and training.
If she did great, she’s rewarded or recognized.

That’s what makes professional BPO chat teams better than hiring just anyone to answer chats.

Step 7: Escalation (when needed)

Not every chat can be solved right away.

If it’s a technical issue, billing problem, or special request, Priya escalates it. She may:

• Create a support ticket
• Assign it to the right team
• Follow up with the customer via email
• Note down the reason for escalation
  

This way, the customer never feels ignored, they always know their issue is being handled.

Benefits of chat support process outsourcing

Now that you know how the chat process works, let’s see why so many companies are choosing to outsource it.

And let me tell you that we’re not talking about vague or fancy benefits, these are real, measurable results.

24/7 Availability without spending too much

Let’s do a little math.

If you hire your own chat agents in India, one full-time agent costs around ₹15,000–25,000 per month (including salary, software, and setup).

For 24/7 customer service, you’d need 3 agents working in shifts.

That’s about ₹45,000–75,000 per month, plus the extra time you spend on hiring, training, and managing them.

But with AM2PM Support, you get:
✅ 24/7 coverage
✅ Professionally trained agents
✅ Quality checks
✅ Performance tracking

All for less than hiring two full-time agents.

You’re not paying for their free time, you’re only paying for the actual chat work being done.

Easy to scale up or down

Imagine it’s March and your business suddenly goes viral. Your website traffic grows 3 times overnight.

If you had only in-house agents, you’d be in trouble, you can’t hire and train 3 new people in a week.

But with a BPO partner, you just make a call on Monday (or even immediate) and get extra support by Wednesday.

And if things slow down later? You can reduce the team easily, no stress about extra staff or salaries.

Professionally trained agents & quality control

When you work with a professional BPO, you get agents who are:

• Trained in customer service best practices
• Skilled at handling difficult customers calmly
• Aware of your industry, whether it’s e-commerce, SaaS, or healthcare
• Regularly checked for quality and tone
• Measured through clear performance metrics
  

If you hire agents yourself, you have to train and monitor them.

And that’s not as easy as it sounds.

Less work for you (reduced operational load)

With outsourcing, you don’t have to:

• Hire or fire agents
• Approve sick leaves or vacations
• Deal with team issues
• Buy chat software or systems
• Watch chat quality yourself
• Handle payroll or compliance
  

Your BPO partner takes care of all of this.
You can relax and focus on growing your business.

Helpful reports and insights

A good BPO doesn’t just manage chats, they give you data and insights that help your business grow.

You get reports showing:

• The most common customer questions (maybe you can fix those problems in your product!)
• Customer mood trends: are people happy or frustrated?
• Agent performance: who’s doing the best job?
• Peak chat hours: when your customers need the most help
• Conversion rates: how many chats turn into real sales
  

This information helps you improve your product, marketing, and sales strategy.

Smart way to serve global customers

If your customers are from different regions, say India, Southeast Asia, or other countries, they might speak different languages or have different habits.

Hiring separate agents for each region can get expensive.

But a BPO company with teams in multiple regions already has that covered.
They understand local languages, cultures, and time zones and give your customers a smoother experience.

It’s a smarter, more cost-effective way to serve a global audience.

Live chat outsourcing vs in-house: Make the right choice

Let me be honest with you. Outsourcing isn’t for everyone.

Here’s a quick comparison to help you decide:

Factor	In-House Chat Support	Outsourced Chat Support (BPO)
Cost	₹45,000-75,000/month per agent	₹10,000-40,000/month depending on volume
Scalability	Slow. Hiring takes 2-4 weeks	Fast. Scale up/down in days
24/7 Coverage	Requires 3+ agents working shifts	Built-in without extra cost
Training Time	2-4 weeks minimum	Already done by BPO
Quality Consistency	Depends on your management	Professional QA audits
Control	Full control over agents	Less direct control
Flexibility	Less flexible (employment constraints)	Highly flexible
Time to Launch	3-4 weeks	1-2 weeks
Hidden Costs	HR, software, infrastructure, overhead	Usually included
Performance Metrics	You track manually	Real-time dashboards

When should you outsource live chat support?

Not sure if outsourcing is the right choice for you?

Here are some times when it totally makes sense 👇

✅ You should outsource if:

• You get 20 or more chats every day and can’t manage them yourself
• You want 24/7 support, but don’t want to hire full-time staff
• Your business is growing fast, and you need extra hands quickly
• You’d rather focus on your main work instead of managing chat support
• You need agents who can chat in multiple languages
• You want professional quality checks and performance tracking
• You’re a startup and can’t spend much on hiring yet
• Your chat volume goes up and down (busy vs. slow seasons)
• You want data and insights from your customer chats

❌ You should not outsource if:

• You get less than 5 chats per day (that’s too few for outsourcing)
• Your product is so technical that only you or your founders can explain it
• You have strict rules or data security needs that BPOs can’t meet
• You want complete control over every single chat
• Your product or service changes too often and is hard to explain

In reality: Most companies that truly care about giving a great and personalized customer service experience outsource at least part of their live chat support.

It saves time, reduces stress, and helps you serve customers better, without burning out your in-house team.

How to choose the right chat service company

So, you’ve decided to outsource your live chat support. Great!

But before you pick from dozens of chat process companies, remember, not all are built the same. Some deliver outstanding results. Some… not so much.

Here’s how to choose the right one 👇

Experience in your industry

Ask them:

• “Have you worked with e-commerce, SaaS, or healthcare companies before?”
• “Do you understand the common problems in my industry?”
• “Can you show examples of similar clients you’ve handled?”
  

If the company already knows your industry, you won’t have to train them much.
That means your setup and launch will be faster and smoother.

Training & onboarding process

This one’s super important.

Ask:

• “How will you train your agents on my products?”
• “How long does training take?”
• “What if the agents still don’t know the answers after training?”
• “Can we do a test run before going live?”

🚩 Red flag: If they say, “We’ll just give agents your website,” that’s a lazy BPO.

✅ Good BPOs have a proper onboarding plan and train their team closely with yours.

Quality assurance (QA) & monitoring

You want full transparency. Ask them:

• “How do you make sure chats are high-quality?”
• “What performance metrics do you track?”
• “Can I see live dashboards or reports?”
• “How often do you check and review chats?”
• “What happens if the quality drops?”
  

If they can’t clearly explain their QA process, that’s your cue to walk away.

Technology & integration

Ask:

• “Which chat platforms do you work with: Zendesk, Intercom, Freshchat, etc.?”
• “Can you connect your system with our CRM?”
• “Can you customize if our setup is different?”
• “What’s your uptime or availability guarantee?”
  

🚩 Bad answer: “We only use one platform.”
✅ Good answer: “We can integrate with most systems and adjust to your setup.”

Scalability & flexibility

Ask:

• “Can you handle double the chat volume if traffic suddenly increases?”
• “How quickly can you add new agents?”
• “Can we reduce the number of chats in slow seasons?”
• “Do you have any minimum contract limits?”
  

You want a BPO that’s flexible, not one that locks you in with long, strict contracts.

Clear and honest pricing

Ask:

• “How do you charge: per chat, per agent, or per hour?”
• “Are there any extra or hidden costs?”
• “What’s included in the plan, and what’s not?”
• “What’s the minimum contract period?”
  

Good BPOs have simple, clear pricing.
If the pricing sounds confusing, it’s usually a red flag.

References & track record

Ask:

• “Can you share 3–5 client references?”
• “How long do clients usually stay with you?”
• “Can I talk to one of your current clients?”
• “Do you have case studies showing real results?”

A confident BPO will happily connect you with their happy clients.
If they avoid the question, that’s a sign they might not be as good as they say.

Communication & ongoing support

Ask:

• “Who will be my main point of contact?”
• “How often will we talk or review performance?”
• “What happens if something goes wrong: who do I reach out to?”
• “Do you send weekly or monthly reports?”
  

You want a partner, not just a vendor.
A good chat service company will care about your success, not just your contract.

Thinking about outsourcing your chat support?

Outsourcing chat support isn’t just about saving money or just answering messages, it’s about giving your customers quick, professional help anytime they need it.

When someone messages your website at 2 AM, they don’t want to wait. If you’re not there, they’ll move to your competitor. That’s why outsourcing gives you an edge.

A good BPO partner does more than just chat, they:

 ✅ Handle customers politely
✅ Free up your time
✅ Share helpful insights
✅ Scale with your business
✅ Keep your customers happy

If you’re getting too many chats, struggling to grow your team, or just want expert support without extra hiring, outsourcing is a smart move.

And if you want a partner who understands both your operations and your customers, that’s exactly what AM2PM Support does.

Your customers just want fast, friendly help.
Your job is to make sure they get it, whether in-house or outsourced.

The choice is yours, just choose wisely.

Whether you’re looking for outsourced live chat services or a complete chat support process outsourcing solution, AM2PM Support can help.

👉 Book your free call and see how AM2PM Support can simplify your chat process today.

Frequently asked questions about chat process and support