cooljools wrote:

1) As soon as a customer enters my site, a bell rings on my computer. I find out where they're from (not an anonymous IP, but a real location),  what they've looked at on my site and for how long, and where they're going). Live Chat also tells you if they're a return customer, or new. And it tells you, if they came via an SE, what their querie was, and on what page/SERP the SE listed you. The "referring page". Yes, this is also available in one's "stats", but not LIVE.

It ain't no cottage cheese. And no e-mail or toll free number will give you that info.

toll frees are cheap as hell. $10 a month 1-800 number aint expensive. voicemail works when i sleep and can't take calls. i'm not at&t either but get time of day / switchboard management inclusive

if a bell went off with every visitor i had i'd shoot myself with 4,000+ dings a day - ding dong mental torture.

i have stats like you mention and in realtime, how, where, when, why, how many queries, people online, server loads and how many people have rung me today plus how many are on hold so don't tell me something doesn't give you the info when everything is there and all you have to do it put the bits together. granted it takes effort to get it to tick but if you're determined you'll get it sorted.

as for only getting one email question, hell it doesn't have a lot to compete with if your chat is rarely used. if it's that rarely used stop wasting $50 a month on it, stop moaning and stop being an American brat

ps - email can autorespond to satisfy the impatient with links to faqs etc....

It ain't no cottage cheese. And no e-mail or toll free number will give you that info.

what if we just asked really nicely over the phone? A great and creepy way to meet people I think if its imple enough and one states what times (with the gmt equiv) they will be online it should be fine. No complications is the key i think, although talking to someone would leave a way more... how would one say....trusting!!! yes, a more trusting relationship feeling with the customer.

Both would be the best... maybe even put a postal address for the anti techies... i get post people send me photos of their estabs to put on Gwema...quite lovely these little handwritten tid bits