Step up Customer Assistance with Live Video Support

Innovative ways to provide customers with immediate assistance, guidance and support lies at the heart of every customer-centric organization. Live video support, where service is provided over a live video connection, has proven to be an effective way of driving high customer satisfaction ratings and building customer loyalty.

Live video support can be used by customer service agents either to initiate a face-to-face live video chat customer support session or to offer live video interactive assistance.

Live Video Chat Customer Support

Live video chat with customers enables agents to establish face-to-face communication. Depending on the business model, the agent may either start the video chat customer support from the start or use it to escalate a text-based chat or voice session. The human-interaction drives a personal connection as agents can pick up on customers’ body language and tone of voice. This benefit has been duly noted by businesses with TechTarget reporting that on average, companies use live video support in 8,425 sales calls per year.

Download this TechSee Report to learn how live video customer support can improve your NPS

Live Video Support in Action: 3 Use Cases

Shopping concierge

Video chat customer support allows agents to connect with online customers in real time, offering them advice and recommendations that directly increase sales. Examples are advice on color matching, feature comparisons or style recommendations.

Customer inquiries

When customers turn to a company for help, video chat customer support gives a face to the business. This is ideal for customers looking to, for example:

• make travel arrangements
• change the details of their hotel stay
• report a defect in a purchase, or
• see a product demo.

Employee onboarding

With live video support, staff trainers or mentors can help a new employee learn the ropes by providing video-based guidance to answer questions or provide direction.

A Video Based Customer Service Success Story

Personal Capital is a wealth management firm that uses video chat with customers to improve the onboarding of new top-tier clients and maintain trusted client relationships long term. With the idea that personalization builds credibility, Personal Capital’s advisors provide instant, personalized financial services to clients so they can invest with confidence.

A growing number of brokerages and financial planning firms, including Bank of America and TD Ameritrade are following suit. They are now offering financial advice with a personal touch via online live video support.

How Live Video Interactive Assistance Works

Live video interactive assistance enables agents to visually guide and collaborate with customers. The technology combines video streaming, where online media is simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real time, with augmented reality, an interactive technology that superimposes a computer-generated image on a user’s view of the real world. The combination of these two technologies creates a powerful collaborative solution for remote visual guidance.

More efficient than auditory communication, visually highlighting the desired action will enable the customer to comprehend and execute the instructions faster and more satisfactorily. With Grand View Research predicting that AR will be an $340.16B market by 2028, it seems that more and more forward-thinking companies will be implementing live video interactive assistance.

Support the Customer with Live Video Interactive Assistance: 4 Use Cases

Technical Support

Especially useful for troubleshooting and product unboxing, agents can use live video tech support to more quickly identify technical issues visually.

Once the issue is identified, the agent can visually guide the customer through the steps,  leading to better customer experience and higher resolution rate. Examples include internet connectivity, cable wiring issues, troubleshooting TV error messages, and unboxing a new coffee machine.

Billing issues

Agents can use live video calling and remote assistance software when a shared view of a document is required to solve issues such as:

• billing inquiries
• invoice clarification
• personal detail updates
• coupons
• returns, and
• damaged goods.

Visual claims

Live video customer support can enhance the entire insurance claim cycle by delivering the following benefits:

• faster and more accurate claims processing
• more efficient remote adjustment
• better risk classification
• improved documentation handling, and
• reduced fraud.

Sales

Live video interactive assistance can reduce abandoned carts and unsigned contracts by providing an engaging and interactive customer experience that helps close the sale right on the spot.

How Real Companies are Using Live Video Support

Amazon Mayday was first launched in 2013 in connection with the Kindle Fire. It was an in-app live video support that connected an Amazon agent with the Kindle customer with the tap of a button. Customers saw a live support agent, while the agent’s view was limited to the customer’s screen. Once the agent assessed the Kindle Fire issue, they could guide the customer to the resolution by annotating on the screen.  Amazon customers gave high marks to the service, especially due to their speedy response rate, which was less than 15 seconds.

However, in 2018, due to misuse and high costs, Amazon discontinued Mayday for Kindle support. Instead, Mayday has evolved to Mayday Screen Sharing. This feature is offered on Amazon-supported devices via free customer support, 24/ 7, by tapping on the Phone & Email icon or via the Help App on the device home screen.

TechSee has taken this idea to the next level with their intelligent visual engagement platform. It provides live video support using computer vision and augmented reality, to a wider market.

One customer benefiting from TechSee’s technology is Vodafone, a Tier-1 communication service provider that supports a wide range of hardware devices and services. Video guidance support helps ensure, for instance:

• more efficient issue resolution
• less costly hardware replacements and truck rolls, and
• higher levels of customer satisfaction.

For example, by seeing the connections on the back of a customer’s set-top box, router, or modem, an agent can immediately understand the problem and guide the customer to the correct connections.

What are the Benefits of Live Video Support for your Business?

Corporations that have implemented video based customer service, have reported numerous advantages. Some of the more common gains for companies who use live video support are:

• Improved customer experience and NPS score
• A demonstrated commitment to personalization
• Increased contact center and operational excellence: reduced truck rolls, lowered NFF returns, improved FCR
• Reduced operating costs
• Empowered agents and lower attrition rates
• Shortened staff training
• Enhanced competitive advantage.

The Fool-Proof 4 Step Method to Choosing a Live Video Support Provider

There are several video support solutions on the market. On the most basic level, the solution must efficiently connect the customer service agent and the customer with minimal friction.  In addition, there are four key areas to focus on when researching live video support providers:

• Capabilities
• Access
• Integrations
• Platform quality and track record.

1. Robust platform with key capabilities

Once you determine your Use Case based on your business requirements and KPI goals, look for a robust video customer support solution with the features that best suit your needs. Key capabilities can include: annotations on live video and photo modes, and the ability to support communication even in mediocre mobile coverage conditions.

2. Access

Is the video based customer service technology easy for customers to access? Check whether it is delivered via a browser or whether an app download is required.

If an app must be downloaded and installed, it presents a barrier to customers who often are wary of the process or simply don’t have the time.

3. Integrations

Look for an ecosystem-friendly live video customer service platform that is based on open APIs to maximize data integration and agent workflow. Some key integration features are single sign-on, integrations with CRM, customer app and knowledge base, and customized call flow support.

4. Proven track record

The provider should have experience! Due your due diligence when checking for a relevant customer base, proven capabilities, and recent success stories.

All Aboard the Live Video Support Train

Live video support is growing in popularity across a wide range of businesses due to today’s technological advancements, consumer demand for personalization, and the proven value it brings to the enterprise.

Whether your specific use case requirements call for live video chat customer support or for live video interactive assistance, the technology offers numerous benefits. One advantage is that companies that choose to harness a video based customer service solution enhance their customers’ experience.

Is your business on board?