Live chat benchmarks: satisfaction scores, conversion impact, response time expectations, and channel mix. Sources include Kayako, SuperOffice, LiveChat, Comm100, and Forrester.
Key findings
- 01
Live chat continues to outperform other traditional support channels on satisfaction in the public benchmark data kept here.
- 02
The conversion case is still strong: Kayako reports that 79% of businesses see a positive impact on sales, revenue, or loyalty, and 38% of consumers are more likely to buy when live chat is available.
- 03
Purchase-stage assistance matters. Forrester found that nearly half of online consumers consider access to a live person during checkout one of the most important features a site can offer.
- 04
Execution still breaks many programs: SuperOffice found that 21% of live chat requests went unanswered and average wait time was 2 minutes and 40 seconds.
- 05
Modern live chat is increasingly AI-assisted and mobile-first, with Comm100 reporting 73.8% AI-handled chats and 77.9% of chats taking place on mobile.
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Satisfaction & Preference
| Figure | Statistic | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 87% | 87% of live chat interactions receive positive customer satisfaction ratings.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
| 95% | 95% of customers say getting thorough, high-quality support matters more than getting a quick response.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
| 73% | Live chat earns a 73% satisfaction rate, compared with 61% for email and 44% for phone support.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
| 52% | 52% of consumers are more likely to remain loyal to a company that offers live chat support.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
Conversion & Revenue Impact
| Figure | Statistic | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 79% | 79% of businesses say live chat has a positive effect on sales, revenue, and customer loyalty.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
| 10% | Businesses using live chat report 10% higher average order value.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
| 38% | 38% of consumers are more likely to buy from a company if it offers live chat support.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
| 29% | 29% of consumers say they told friends or family about a positive live chat experience.Kayako · 2025 | Kayako | 2025 |
| 44% | 44% of online consumers say that having a live person answer questions during an online purchase is one of the most important website features.Forrester · 2015 | Forrester | 2015 |
Speed & Staffing Benchmarks
| Figure | Statistic | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21% | 21% of live chat support requests go unanswered in the SuperOffice study.SuperOffice · 2017 | SuperOffice | 2017 |
| 2m 40s | The average live chat wait time in the SuperOffice benchmark was 2 minutes and 40 seconds.SuperOffice · 2017 | SuperOffice | 2017 |
| 6m 50s | The same SuperOffice benchmark found an average live chat handle time of 6 minutes and 50 seconds.SuperOffice · 2017 | SuperOffice | 2017 |
| 35s | LiveChat reported a 35-second global average first response time.LiveChat · 2025 | LiveChat | 2025 |
| 84.1 | LiveChat reported 84.1 chats handled per agent per day on average.LiveChat · 2025 | LiveChat | 2025 |
| 8m 25s | LiveChat reported an 8-minute, 25-second global average chat duration.LiveChat · 2025 | LiveChat | 2025 |
| 17h 58m | LiveChat reported average chat availability of 17 hours and 58 minutes per day.LiveChat · 2025 | LiveChat | 2025 |
AI & Mobile Trends
| Figure | Statistic | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 73.8% | Comm100 reports that 73.8% of chats were handled by AI in 2025.Comm100 · 2025 | Comm100 | 2025 |
| 77.9% | Comm100 reports that 77.9% of chats now happen on mobile devices.Comm100 · 2025 | Comm100 | 2025 |
| 94.2% | LiveChat says 94.2% of chats in its dataset occurred on mobile devices.LiveChat · 2025 | LiveChat | 2025 |
Methodology
Last updated March 31, 2026. Each statistic links to a public benchmark page, report, or webinar from the named source.
Data limitations
- Response time benchmarks depend heavily on staffing model and queue volume.
- Conversion uplift figures come from vendor case studies, not independent audits.
- Sample skew towards e-commerce and SaaS; results may not generalize to enterprise B2B.