Video chat is all the rage right now for customer experience. Already companies are starting to incorporate video chat into their sales and service offerings, and Gartner predicts that 1/5 of the largest global businesses will offer it by 2018. It is becoming more common in healthcare industries, and a few big name companies have experienced a drastic surge in their profits thanks to its adoption (including Amazon, Schuh, and MBank). As technology becomes more prevalent throughout contact centers, it is also predicted that 50% of jobs in customer experience will shift away from phone-based service to video and chat-related positions.
Not only are big brand names successfully utilizing video chat, but customers themselves prefer this type of communication. According to the Pew Research Center, 36% of customers say they would like video chat to be an option when contacting customer service.
The Top 4 Reasons Companies and Customers Alike Benefit from Video Chat
- Visual Communication: We learned back in elementary school about how vital body language and facial expressions are to productive communication. In fact, studies show that body language comprises 55% of communication. Outside of a visit to a store, these benefits are entirely absent in all other customer service formats… except video chat. Customers report that they tend to trust the representative more when they can place a face with a voice, and the agent’s facial expressions show a positive attitude toward helping a customer. This trust significantly increases the quality of the conversation.
- The In-Store Experience… Online: Many people still prefer the in-store experience. A smile from a sales representative, the helping hand of a store associate, and being able to see the actual products adds a sense of security. It also helps the customer see where their money is going. Not all products can be “demoed” through video chat, but it does offer the opportunity for many to be. Not only are there many products that can be shown through video chat, but video agents can also show customers how to use products, or to even fix them.
- Save on Post-Sale Support: An often overlooked benefit of video chat is that it decreases the odds of customers needing further support after a purchase. Through video chat, the quality of the conversation ensures a higher resolution rate of issues and a reduction in unanswered questions. With the ability to view products and demos from agents, the customer has the knowledge up front to resolve issues immediately, or even prevents them from arising, which saves both the company and the customer time and energy.
- Increase Conversion Rates: Yes, video conversations may be longer in length and agents may only video chat with one customer at a time, but they tend to have a higher conversion rate. In fact, if used properly, video chat has shown to increase conversion rates by up to 10%. The Baymard Institute reveals that 67.45% of online shopping carts never actually make it to check out, but that more personal forms of customer service can drastically reduce this rate. After all, it is much harder to hang up when you can see the person’s face rather than just a person’s name.
Ultimately, everything you do in your contact centers needs to reduce effort for your customers and your agents. By incorporating video chat into your multi-channel offerings, you can allow them both to act more naturally and take care of business more effortlessly. Like we’ve mentioned before, it’s not just about having customer experience technology, it’s about having the right technology, and anything that brings you closer to your customer will be perfect for your business.
Want some quality face time with your customers? Let’s talk.
