Let's get visual: Adding video to your customer service operations

We're in the visual age, a time marked by the ubiquity of the screen, where scrolling through Reels and Facetiming are a part of everyday life. From virtual meetings to video chats with friends, our eyeballs and brains are receiving incredible amounts of visual stimulation daily.

The rise in video consumption translates to brand expectations, with consumers looking to their favorite companies to provide experiences that are rooted in visual media. In fact, according to a survey by animated video production company Wyzowl, a staggering 91% of consumers say they want more online videos from brands in 2023.

Pair the growing demand for video with today's complex technical ecosystems, and it is no surprise that brands are looking to adopt more visual support options to help them better communicate and solve problems with their customers. In fact, according to the 2022 State of the Service Market Survey report by TechSee, when it comes to customer support, 'visual' was reported by consumers as the preferred means of receiving instructions, with 48% preferring visual over verbal.

Being able to see an empathetic agent — and having the option of demonstrating how a particular product is misbehaving — is a powerful, multi-sensorial combination that can produce more positive and productive customer experiences.

The benefits of video customer support

When it comes to contacting a support agent, customers want quick and timely issue resolution. According to HubSpot's Annual State of Service in 2022 report, 90% of consumers rated an "immediate" response as important or very important when they have a customer service question.

Understanding the problem in full is a critical factor in the success of a customer support interaction. However, a third of consumers surveyed by TechSee said they didn't feel understood by a support agent when explaining their problem verbally.

Video is a tool that can make it easier to interpret a customer's problem, collect and deliver information and ultimately, streamline the resolution process.

There are a number of valuable applications of video in the contact center, including:

• Live video chat, where a customer and agent speak face-to-face through a screen.
• Chatbots that use computer vision and natural language processing to receive videos or photos demonstrating the crux of a customer query, and then break down those visuals using artificial intelligence (AI) to help diagnose and resolve issues.
• Sending video or photo attachments via text message, email or chat to help explain a problem for which the customer is seeking resolution.

The classic "how many lights are on the modem?" question is a great example of how visual technical support can expedite customer queries. Instead of asking the customer to describe which lights are on and what color they are — a challenge for low-vision and color-blind people — the agent can instead send a link in a chat to access a customer's smartphone camera, then work alongside the customer in real-time to get the internet back up and running.

But video calls are just the first step in leveraging all of the benefits that visual engagement tools are capable of providing. Video technologies have paved the way for other sophisticated solutions that can optimize the technical support process even further. For example, why waste valuable time having your customer read out hardware serial numbers that are often long, cumbersome and prone to human error, when an agent can use computer vision (CV) tools to extract that data directly from a still photo taken during a live video chat?

Investing in the proper visual engagement tools for your contact center can help reduce customer and agent friction, improve resolution times and help to boost overall customer satisfaction.

Creating proactive visual customer service experiences

Video isn't exclusively reserved for live troubleshooting. Businesses are always looking for ways to augment the utility of self-service options in the drive to lessen inbound contact center queries. This aligns well with the fact that the overwhelming majority (89%) of U.S. customers say they expect access to a self-service portal when dealing with everyday problems, according to Statista.

Pre-recorded demo videos can serve as an excellent self-help tool, sometimes surpassing the effectiveness of illustrated or written instructions.

For instance, imagine a new smart home device arriving on a customer's doorstep. On the box is a QR code that, when scanned, opens up to a video welcoming the customer and linking them to a series of short videos designed to walk them through installation and providing an option to contact your live customer support team if needed. This allows customers to choose which videos to watch at different parts of the set-up journey and a quick and convenient outlet to speak to a human agent should any additional issues arise.

Providing a seamless customer experience right from the start of a customer relationship can go a long way toward building brand loyalty.

Unlocking the power of video customer support through partnership

Brands looking to streamline their customer support operations and increase customer satisfaction would be wise to add video to their customer service strategy. Working with a digital customer experience provider that has the technology and expertise to guide you through this process is essential to properly integrating a new tool into your support toolbox.

That's exactly why TELUS Digital has partnered with TechSee, a provider of remote visual support, to deliver AI-powered service automation and visual engagement products to brands around the world.

But enough of the written word — we've got video for you. Check out the video to learn more about how we're working together.

Want to learn more? Reach out to our team of experts to discover how video support can revolutionize your brand's customer experience.