8 mins read
Contact centers have run largely the same way for years. However, the COVID-19 crisis forced them to change the way they operate almost overnight. Managers had to implement new ways of working and communicating with customers online, and this, in turn, has led to more companies considering alternative methods of communication to continue after the pandemic subsides.
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This shift towards digitally focussed call centers has brought in the video as a powerful tool for communicating with customers. This article will explore how video as a customer engagement channel is revamping call centers as we know them.
Keep communication flowing through social distancing
Social distancing will be around for some time now. Face-to-face meetings are often inconvenient and difficult to organize with people based in diverse environments. Social distancing makes it difficult to cultivate personal relationships with clients, especially if you only have voice transmission tools at your disposal.
Video customer engagement helps keep communication flowing even through times when social distancing is key. Video calling potential customers give you the chance to forge personal relationships by seeing the customer’s face. While showing the customer that you care about getting to know them, you are also showing that you take their safety as a priority by conducting your meeting virtually.
For many, it is much easier to communicate over video call where you can see visual cues. It can also help build their trust if they can put a face to your name, and shows them that they have a point of contact for any issues or questions they may have in the future.
Video shows customers you are adaptable
Call centers that have embraced the digitalisation trend and have implemented video customer engagement channels into their communication strategies have shown customers that they can adapt even in times of great uncertainty.
Adopting the latest technology shows that your call center is cutting-edge and that your business isn’t stuck in its ways. Showing that you can embrace change and have already made efforts for the benefit of customers makes you much more trustworthy. It also gives clients faith that your business will be there for them throughout troubling times.
No one knows what the future holds for call centers, but a business that is adaptable and uses technology to its advantage is more likely to be a success going forward to a post-COVID-19 world.
Video can make your call center more effective
If you’re dealing with onboarding customers, you’ll face lengthy email threads, ID checks, credit applications, and much more. This is time-consuming and often spans over several channels, leading to errors along the way or messages being lost in translation.
Using video customer engagement, your call center staff can perform ID checks, complete applications, and explain onboarding processes to your customers in a single stage. As communication is much easier when you’re facing one another, you get more value out of the conversations. You may even find that customers will volunteer more information, which can be noted on Acefone’s online portal for future reference and used to provide highly personalised service.
Keep queues to a minimum
If you have physical offices, customers can no longer just walk in and speak to the staff. This means that your call center could be flooded with calls that ordinarily would have been dealt with in your branch office.
In that case, your call center staff could become overwhelmed and customer service will be sure to slip. Video customer engagement can help combat this by taking some of the strain away from your phone lines.
Employees can dedicate their time to booking video consultations with customers who may need a little more help or those who would ordinarily have come into your office. This reduces the number of people waiting on your phone lines and your staff is free to deal with enquiries that can be resolved through the phone.
With video consultations, your call center can run much more smoothly and every customer will continue to receive great service.
Video can help boost sales
When issues arise, customers prefer to interact with a real person rather than a bot or faceless voice. If they find you while researching your product, you can actively engage them in conversation, offering a video demonstration or consultation to explain the benefits of your offerings.
Actively engaging with customers and having a real conversation, rather than passively messaging them or relaying information over the phone, can keep customers more engaged and lets them ask more questions.
Video engagement also gives you the chance to show off your products in a unique and highly expressive way. Your agents can essentially become your brand ambassadors and boost sales by engaging clients while showing your USPs.
By engaging via video early in the sales process, your call center team is building a relationship with the potential customer from day one. Customers will feel valued as someone is taking the time to video call them, and will have more trust and confidence in your company when you give them a contact who they have met virtually
Video makes problem-solving easier
There is nothing more frustrating than miscommunication when a customer faces an issue. The staff could misinterpret the problem or give answers that are too technical for the client’s understanding. Either way, these miscommunications lead to dissatisfaction on both sides.
Using video customer engagement, your call center staff could see the problem for themselves and talk the customer through fixing their own issues. It is much easier to follow what someone is telling you when you can see their face and other visual cues. That’s why video is the perfect way to deliver complex troubleshooting in an accessible way.
Your agents will also have the opportunity to gauge a customer’s technical ability by conversing with them and will be able to adjust their language and explanations accordingly. Over the phone, this can be quite difficult. However, personal interaction via a video call makes it easier to foster an understanding.
Conclusion
Video customer engagement is a great way to start creating more personal connections with customers by contacting your call center. There are plenty of exciting ways in which your staff can embrace technology and connect with customers, and COVID-19 has brought the use of the technology to the forefront.
Customers are starting to expect these solutions in businesses they deal with, and not adopting new ways of working could cost you the customers in the long run. It’s time to get with the times and give your consumers the best service that they deserve.
To find out more about video customer engagement and Acefone’s hosted phone systems, call us today on 1888-859-0450. Our experts will guide you through everything you need to know.
