ASI Introduces New Chat Feature In ESP

Distributors, suppliers and decorators can now chat in real time without leaving ESP®

TREVOSE, PA – April 26, 2016 – The Advertising Specialty Institute® (ASI) today announced it has added a chat messaging service to ESP, the most robust and accurate shopping engine in the promotional products industry.

ESP Chat encourages real-time engagement and sharing between distributors and suppliers or distributors and industry peers. All ESP Web® users will enjoy an automatic upgrade to ESP Chat by May 1.

“ASI’s new ESP Chat represents another investment in next-generation communications and customer-friendly online services,” said Timothy M. Andrews, president and chief executive officer of ASI. “As anyone who’s ever used Facebook chat knows, chat is the fastest, easiest way to get answers, share news and build a sense of community.”

Click here to download an overview of ESP Chat to learn how it can help businesses and salespeople communicate better with clients, prospects and coworkers. Chat allows users to save time and get answers to product inquiries, pricing and orders, or to provide valuable feedback.

ESP Chat also encourages conversation between members of the promotional products industry and can lead to stronger business relationships and mentoring.
 
Distributors can click here for a list of current suppliers already hosting chat rooms.

Here’s how ESP Chat works:

• While browsing products in ESP from a supplier who hosts a chat room, distributors can click a button to enter into chat mode.
• Enter ESP Chat directly by clicking on the ESP Chat bar in the lower right corner of the ESP Web home page.
• Expand the chat screen to see both ASI’s general discussion room as well as rooms hosted by suppliers.
• Click on a room to join that discussion.

Once users have joined a Chat Room, they can:

• Post a message
• Post a product in ESP
• Upload photos or files
• Post emojis

ESP Chat comes with privacy controls that allow users the option of posting messages publicly or engaging in one-on-one private conversations. Users can also “Favorite” or “Block” people within chat.

Customers who use live chat for service report a 92% satisfaction rate, higher than customers who get service via phone, Web forms, email and social media, according to Zendesk, a cloud-based customer service platform.

Please contact ASI Customer Services or call (800) 546-1350, option No. 1 with questions.

About ASI
The Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI®) serves a network of 25,000 suppliers, distributors and decorators in the $22 billion promotional products industry. ASI’s flagship product, the technology platform ESP®, manages the industry’s entire supply and marketing chain. ASI also produces award-winning digital and print content, live events and educational programs that enable companies in 61 countries to be more efficient, productive and profitable. ASI’s Counselor magazine provides the most authoritative business content in the industry, and the ASI Certification Program features 500+ live and online education courses for over 40,000 professionals. The company, family owned and operated since 1962, is proud to have been consistently ranked among the “Best Places to Work” in Philadelphia and Bucks County, PA. For more info:www.uat-asicentral.com.