The growth of video customer service and why your business needs it

The days of waiting several hours on hold to speak with a support or sales representative are now (mostly) over. The monotone “Please hold the line, your call is very important to us” message has now be replaced by real-time messaging.

You can message companies on social media just like you’d message your friends. You can resolve complex issues through live chat in a matter of minutes. Convenience, accessibility and speed are now the major factors dictating how businesses interact with customers and build those relationships.

But fast, on-demand customer interactions can come at a cost.

When you start supporting hundreds or thousands of your customers through real-time messaging, you run the risk of suddenly being not very personal at all. Addressing your customers with “Dear Sir/Madam” messages won’t cut it. So how can you deliver lightning-fast customer interactions while remaining personal at the same time? At Loom, we think we’ve found the solution – video.

Send a video, not a thousand words

According to a study conducted by Kayako in 2017, 79% of businesses have gone on record to say that offering live chat has had a positive effect on customer loyalty

But despite customers’ increasing demand for fast, personal interactions via live chat and messaging, they haven’t lost their desire for quality. The same Kayako study reports that a staggering 95% of consumers would prefer slower live chat response times if it meant the quality of help was higher.

It’s still true today that taking your time and going the extra mile really does make the difference. And that’s where video comes in. Video can provide one of the most personal experiences for businesses seeking to make a effective connection with potential customers. Increasing the sense of a personalized, fast connection can make all the difference when interacting with customers when they need your help most.

At Loom, video is a regular feature of how we deliver world class customer experiences so here are a few of the ways you can leverage video to create more personal connections with your customers.

Answering support tickets with quick videos

Imagine your support team are having a chat with a customer that’s gotten so detailed that the conversation is grinding to a halt. Messages are exchanged, screenshots are shared, but neither the support rep or the customer have managed to get to the bottom of the problem. Many of these more detailed support interactions might be resolved more quickly with video as opposed to back and forth messaging. Video gives everyone an instant view of what is happening and can give a quick tutorial to the customer.

Set your customers up for success with onboarding videos

Nowadays, you can navigate to any website and purchase a product without ever talking to someone. This automated world can be great for your business, but can leave customers missing a personal connection.

As humans, we’re more comfortable purchasing new products if you know who you’re working with. If something goes wrong, is this the type of business that will help you in a pinch? Will they be available when you have a support problem Friday at 4:30 pm?

Using video, companies can introduce their teams to new users, building rapport and trust. As with most things in life, first impressions are key. Make sure your customers understand how to get immediate value from your product by explaining how key features work with a quick video message.

Nurture your sales leads with personal videos

The lines between sales and support is becoming increasingly blurred, and your frontline customer support reps are your best salespeople. Nobody knows better than your customer support team how to talk to customers, get to the root cause of problems, represent the brand, create documentation and provide self-service help. Video lets your team break free from impersonal sales messages and add a friendly face to your message. Not only will you stand out from your competitors, but your future customers can immediately get to know you and your company.

Document tutorials and user guides in your Help Center

Video offers the benefit of being able to show your product in action. You can walk people visually through workflows, and for many, it’s much easier to follow along with a video than a convoluted list of steps.

Whenever possible, show instead of tell. Videos remove the need for enumerating steps, adding arrows and lines, or writing overly wordy descriptions, creating tremendous value for those who prefer to learn in a visual way.

Video and messaging go together like peanut better and jelly

Long phone calls and novel-length emails are no longer your best options for helping customers interact with your business. Real-time messaging through tools like Intercom has become the proven method for delivering helpful, friendly sales and support quickly and effectively.

But as much as businesses (and customers) love live chat and other real-time messaging channels, they still value trusting relationships with their customers through responsive and engaging experiences.

That’s what makes video such an effective tool for modern businesses. Not only are you able to keep your customers happier with fast, prompt response times, you can do it in a more personalized, engaging way. Better yet, Loom has partnered with Intercom to provide a seamless integration that allows your customers to watch Loom videos directly in Intercom’s products – Messages and Articles. Adding a personal touch to your customer communication just got a whole lot easier.