A video channel in a contact center should be used for specific tasks and not simply to demonstrate its existence or the presence of an interlocutor. Below we consider some relevant business situations.
Teleconferencing and video communication have long been commonplace, and video calls are supported by many popular communication systems and applications: from corporate communications to MS Teams and the popular video conferencing tool Zoom to Telegram and WhatsApp. By now, everyone knows how to make a video call when needed.
Anyone who uses video conferencing frequently and extensively knows that not all participants like to show themselves. The video channel is usually used for meaningful visualizations rather than live portraits. So the image is usually functional; to understand how to make video communication meaningful and comfortable, it should be considered in the context of the specific situation, whether personal or business.
There are two main business situations when using video in the contact center today:
Let's look at some situations where a video channel is helpful or even necessary.
This is the first variant of video contact. The video call is initiated by the customer, who makes it via a browser or mobile application. The peculiarity of this approach is that the customer knows from which application and how exactly to do it. This can be a button on the service provider's website or in a mobile app already installed on the customer's device
Proof of a loss suffered by a customer of an insurance company will probably be made via a mobile app installed on the customer's smartphone, and the customer will initiate this communication himself. Whether it's a car accident or a problem with home technology, there are many reasons for such calls.
Another area in which video communication is widely used is video identification, e.g., when opening a bank account, registering for a car-sharing service, or performing other important transactions without having to visit the provider in person. Video identification follows a procedure defined by the company, and the customer usually makes the video call to the service center independently.
The second option for a video call is when the customer did not originally intend to make it. The business situations described above can be implemented in this case as well, but the flow and overall process will be different. Here are examples where a contact center agent initiates a video call.
When a customer calls the technical support (or writes a request in a chat), the contact center agent first contacts the customer. After the customer articulates the problem or question, the agent can send a link to the video feed - in the case of a phone call, this link is sent via SMS or email, and if the original message came from the customer in a chat, directly in the response message.
In practice, such situations can look different: For example, if the customer has difficulty assembling a structure or system, the agent can ask him to demonstrate his actions that do not lead to the desired result, give him appropriate recommendations, and receive immediate feedback.
If a customer is struggling to navigate the web portal, an agent can connect to the customer's device and use video prompts to help them perform the necessary operations themselves.
Such support offers two advantages at once: The customer orders the desired service from the company and also receives support so that he can order independently the next time.
In this case, the communication is organized slightly differently; the video camera on the client's device is not used, and the procedure for initializing the video session is also different.
However, the principle remains the same: the video channel is switched on at the agent's initiative.
Both approaches described above - customer or agent initiated video connection - can be used for any business case.
However, it is important to consider the organization's technical capabilities as well as internal processes, such as the availability and popularity of a mobile app for the service, the availability of resources for specific video requests, the effectiveness of video to assist with web portal navigation, etc.
Evidence of a loss suffered by a customer of an insurance company is likely to be provided via a mobile app installed on the customer's smartphone, and the customer will initiate this communication themselves.
For a one-off consultation on the assembly of a device or a design, you cannot rely on a mobile app on the customer's smartphone. Here, the use of the smartphone camera during an agent call and video communication in a normal browser is a good option. In this case, it is likely that the contact center agent will initiate the use of the video channel.
A smartphone, desktop computer or laptop can be used for video identification of the customer. The call can originate from either side, depending on the procedure set by the service provider.
Cases where the customer directly establishes a video connection when contacting the contact center are rare today. It will be much more common for the video channel to be established during the course of the conversation at the agent's initiative. This approach has a certain advantage, as the customer does not need to overcome a psychological threshold and mentally prepare for the upcoming meeting, which can delay or prevent it altogether.
Note that when contacting the contact center directly via a video channel, the channel is busy while waiting for an agent to respond. However, it represents a rather expensive resource that should only be used during the actual exchange of information. Therefore, it is advisable that the customer first establishes contact via phone or chat, and the video channel is turned on (automatically or manually) only when the agent is connected.
