Live Chat Shared Service vs. Dedicated Chat Agents: Which Is Right for Your Business?

In today’s customer service landscape, live chat is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a necessity. But when it comes to staffing your chat support, the real question becomes: should you go with a shared live chat service or invest in dedicated chat agents?

Both models serve different business needs, and choosing the right one could mean the difference between overspending on resources or missing out on conversions.

In this post, we’ll break down how each model works, their pros and cons, and when it makes sense to choose one over the other.

What Is a Shared Live Chat Service?

A shared live chat service means your business shares a pool of professionally trained agents with other companies. These agents are trained on your FAQs, scripts, and guidelines — but they aren’t assigned solely to you. They juggle multiple client accounts at once, typically through intelligent routing software that ensures fast responses.

Pros of Shared Live Chat:

• Cost-effective: You only pay for what you use — no salaries, no downtime costs.

• 24/7 availability: Even small businesses can afford round-the-clock coverage.

• Fast setup: Onboarding is quicker, and it requires less day-to-day management.

• Scalable: Ideal for businesses that don’t have steady chat volume all day.

Cons of Shared Live Chat:

• Limited concurrency: During peak traffic, response times may vary slightly.

• Basic personalization: While branding is supported, these agents aren’t deeply embedded in your culture or product.

• Not ideal for complex issues: Shared agents are best at triage, FAQs, and lead capture — not in-depth support.

  
  

What Are Dedicated Chat Agents?

Dedicated chat agents work only for your brand. They’re like in-house staff but outsourced. They are fully immersed in your processes, tone of voice, and product or service. Think of them as an extension of your team — without the overhead of managing a full-time hire.

Pros of Dedicated Live Chat:

• Deeper brand knowledge: Agents can handle nuanced conversations, product guidance, and advanced troubleshooting.

• Consistent staffing: You always have the same agents covering your chat.

• High-touch service: Better suited for luxury brands, SaaS, healthcare, and complex sales cycles.

• More control: You can provide continuous coaching, performance feedback, and workflow adjustments.

  
  

Cons of Dedicated Live Chat:

• Higher cost: You're paying for agent time regardless of chat volume.

• Resource-heavy: Requires more involvement in training and quality control.

• Not always necessary: For some businesses, it’s more than what they actually need.

  
  

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Shared Live Chat Service	Dedicated Chat Agents
Cost	Low	Higher
Response Availability	24/7	24/7 (at higher cost)
Training Time	Quick setup	More intensive onboarding
Brand Knowledge	Light-to-moderate	Deep, tailored knowledge
Best For	FAQs, lead capture, triage	Complex support, sales
Scalability	Flexible	Requires planning

Which Is Right for You?

Here’s how to decide:

Choose Shared Live Chat if you:

• Get less than 50 chats per day.

• Want 24/7 coverage without breaking the bank.

• Need help qualifying leads or answering simple questions.

• Run a small to midsize business with limited support needs.

Choose Dedicated Chat Agents if you:

• Need agents who can handle nuanced conversations.

• Run a complex product or service (e.g., SaaS, healthcare).

• Want highly personalized support for high-value customers.

• Expect consistent chat volume throughout the day.

Final Thoughts

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to live chat outsourcing. What matters is aligning your choice with your business goals, chat volume, and customer expectations. Many businesses even start with a shared service and graduate to dedicated agents as they grow.

If you’re unsure where to begin, we can help you assess your volume and recommend a right-fit approach. Whether you need full-time support or just backup during peak hours, our live chat services are designed to flex with your business: