Five Practical pointers about video chat in customer service

In this fast-paced, ever-evolving landscape, people are thriving for more humane sentiments. Technology has invaded all our spaces for a better lifestyle; however, eradicating the human presence when interacting with people, especially your customers, can make you appear distant, less engaged, and unreliable. Business owners know that agents can’t be at every place without adding some cost to the company. But one cannot compromise with the customer’s experience. The ideal solution is nothing else but ‘video chat’

Video calls have been around for more than a decade, but its impact over customer engagement has been recently acknowledged. Businesses across the globe have started to embrace live video chat with options for several customer service platforms. Lifesize found that 90% of people find it easier to get their point across when they are seen in a video.
We have compiled five practical pointers to remember when you embrace video chat for customer service.

Customers are often tired of waiting on the line for the agent to respond. 55% of customers leave because they do not get their resolution on the very first call. Having multiple touchpoints means that agents need to be active on all of them. Otherwise, the whole purpose of employing these technologies becomes redundant. 

Train your agents and instruct them to be on their toes, especially when people are coming through live-chats. Initial conversations are often taken care of by the chatbots. Still, when agent interference is required, they must be available and, if needed, can initiate the video call for quicker resolution.

Active customer service will always be rewarded with customer loyalty, which further ensures more revenue. Hence, make sure to provide 24x7 agent availability. If this becomes a costly affair, one can choose to mention their active hours on their website or in their newsletters to lead the customer in the right direction

This goes without saying that when the video chat is on, the agent should be appropriately dressed. The agent represents your brand, and his attitude will echo your brand’s morals. The agent must be in a less-noisy space where his attention is entirely focused on the customer. There should be no disturbances around him, which might reflect poorly upon the customer.

Apart from the obvious, the agent must be equipped with proper gear for a flawless call without any technical issues like poor connectivity, inferior video clarity, and more. The video chat should be conducted under a well-illuminated place so as the agent is visible. Remember, the agent’s behaviour and his surrounding atmosphere will be visible to the customer, and thus, appropriateness and dignity must be maintained.

Customers do value personal and immediate means of interaction. However, if the process of achieving it is complicated and tiring, they will not make an effort. Customers and especially millennials, appreciate easier means of communication. Most video chat software requires plugins or extensions, which can avert the majority of customers. Thus, ensure that the chat option and the video call feature is noticeable and doesn’t come with new downloads.

Furthermore, customers come from all kinds of touchpoints, like web-browser or mobile phones. They will have different operating systems as well. Perhaps, having software which supports cross-platform interaction, will be the better option.

CZ Video Chat is a refined solution that does not require any third-party downloads. Agents can initiate the call via live chat or send a link via text, which can open the video chat with just a click.

Every time a customer initiates a live-chat session, collect some insight that paves the direction of the conversation. The pre-chat survey helps in understanding the requirement of the customer based upon which an appropriate agent with better expertise, can be allowed to take-over. This practice guarantees the utmost efficiency and improves your CSAT score.

This can be done by designing your chat solutions with a form whenever a chat is initiated. In the form, the customer can mention their name, email id, their question. The form can also have a drop-down for the list of departments in the company, segregated according to the solutions offered. Once the customer inputs their information, the most suitable agent from the right department can assist them forward. 

Video chats for customer service are a personal and transparent mode of interaction. The agent must have all the information before initiating the call. I am sure nobody would want to assign the wrong agent and embarrass themselves on the video chat!

Most chat and video-chat solutions offer recording feature. Enable those with the customer’s consent not only for training purposes but also for some business capturing images when in-call for KYC or Insurance claims, if required. Video chats recordings and snapshots. serve multiple purposes. They not only aid in customer service but also help with product demonstrations, sales, and customer on-boarding. These processes require different levels of skills. Thus, recordings can serve in understanding where the agents are lacking. Communication trainers and product trainers can utilize these recordings to improve their curriculum as well.

Video chat for customer service is still at its infancy. Adopting it now or sooner gives a business the winning edge. Video chats allow you to connect with your customers better. It ensures transparency, which is a commendable trait in the minds of the populace. 

A trustable brand is more likely to gain customer loyalty than companies who maintain distance from their customers. Furthermore, loyal customers are more likely to defend your brand on social media and will proactively recommend it to their friends and families. It improves the quality of the customer service, and the brand can leverage human interaction with personalized attention as a critical differentiator as opposed to their competitors.

C-Zentrix offers a convenient video chat feature along with live chat solution. The aim is to minimize shortcomings and offer an elevated customer service experience across the globe.