The eyes have it in video sales

Video customer service can be an invaluable sales tool in the months ahead now that the technology is viable, argues Frank Trefzer

Everyone wanting to get a message across knows the power of the visual medium. It is by far the most potent sensory communication tool and in the contact centre can be used to strengthen corporate and product awareness and most importantly make the contact centre experience more human through actually letting users see the customer service agent.

The technology is available, as are the means of communication. The adoption of high-speed, flat-fee broadband web access makes video-based internet communication a reality. The same is true of mobiles with the third-generation services being rolled out across Europe ensuring the required speed. Technologies such as voice over IP (VoIP) and the standardisation towards SIP have further helped to make multi-channel video communication the reality it is today.

The barriers to acceptance of video customer service are in fact less technical than practical. How many customers really want to be seen by a contact centre agent – especially in their own home environment? Also from a corporate image perspective how many agents or contact centre environments are really ready to be seen by customers?

These barriers to video communication are being overcome by the acceptance that most video will only be one-way visual communication towards the customer or two ways with the customer having a switch off picture transmission choice.

Also only specialist agents will at first communicate via video and much of the video communication will not actually be video of the agent, but video tools to illustrate what the agent is explaining. In fact the acceptance and practical uses of video services by companies will need a similar learning process to that of the different processes required for the implementation of e-services with already existing voice services.

However, there are major benefits to a communication through video. Store-locater applications can find the nearest pharmacy or service centre, but with video it will also show the route. Also self-service applications could send instruction videos that demonstrate how a product works with no need for interaction with an agent.

Frank Trefzer is BPR solutions specialist at Genesys Telecommunications.