Golfsmith International Holdings, Inc. said it has became the first golf and tennis specialty retailer to offer a Live Chat service online. With technology from InstantService, the service provides quick, personal assistance with Live Chat online at Golfsmith.com.


The service is expected to bolster customer satisfaction and loyalty, increase sales through improvements in conversion and reductions in shopping cart abandonment, and reduce call volumes.

“We’re proud to be the first golf and tennis retailer to offer Live Chat,” said Martin Hanaka, chief executive officer of Golfsmith. “This comes at a very important time when shoppers are looking for great convenience and service. Now we can leverage the expertise of our call center associates to help our guests with anything and everything they want for the holidays directly through Golfsmith.com. It’s yet another way we are bringing innovation to life for our golf and tennis guests.”


“This is a very exciting milestone for Golfsmith. Adding chat signifies the company’s commitment to delivering a great online experience for their customers,” said Mike Lande, CEO of InstantService. “As so many of our other retail customers have learned, using live chat effectively not only provides a more responsive and consistent shopping experience online, but can also significantly increase your top line. It’s no longer a nice-to-have; it’s quickly become a must-have for retailers and Golfsmith is leading the way.”