Offering fast, intuitive guidance for a wide range of issues – from device self-installation and troubleshooting to document capture and billing advice – remote visual support technology allow contact center agents to see exactly what the customer sees. By eliminating the long lists of diagnostic questions that bore both reps and customers to tears, issues can be understood – and their causes identified – in seconds, rather than minutes. Agents can then use Augmented Reality, overlaid on the customer’s smartphone screen, to guide them to a resolution and visually confirm that the issue has been fixed.
Remote visual support – narrowing down the choice
While more than 40 companies now offer ‘see what your customer sees’ solutions, not all are alike. They differ significantly when it comes to their effect on contact center KPIs, agent and customer adoption rates, and potential ROI.
In order to evaluate the solutions on the market, companies realize that they need to consider the potential value, rather than only the license pricing. They usually begin by defining the use cases they want the solution to handle and its potential contribution to the relevant KPIs. They also consider the potential adoption rate by end users and how they will encourage session acceptance and integrate the process into their existing workflows. They also need to work out how to achieve an optimal agent usage rate by giving reps the tools and the training to identify when a visual session is required and how best to use the technology.
Here are the top five factors to consider when selecting the remote visual support solution that will deliver the very best value for your organization.
1. Is the solution designed for contact centers?
Some remote visual support solutions have evolved from co-browsing, remote desktop or collaboration products, while only a few have been designed for contact centers and offer features that reduce AHT and improve FCR. For example, a visual knowledge base eliminates the manual search process, providing contextual image-based decision support that cuts handle time and ensures more first-time fixes.
Solutions designed for contact centers also place greater focus on the user experience of both customers and agents. When customers are struggling with poor connectivity a remote visual support solution with a low bandwidth requirement enables the live stream to stay up and running, adapting to the connection speed to avoid buffering.
Measuring agent productivity and performance are also important. Configurable reporting that tracks both individual KPIs and group metrics, with exportable data that can be readily integrated with the company’s BI system is a must for many organizations.
2. Web-based or app-based?
Depending on a company’s requirements, there are clear advantages to both app-based and web-based solutions. Most providers offer only one or the others, but a few can support both. To promote the use of a native app, some companies opt for an app-based solution. This often reduces call volume by allowing customers to pay bills, edit personal details and upgrade service plans independently. It also enables agents to mirror the customer’s mobile screen to provide navigation support.
A web-based solution, on the other hand, means customer don’t have to download an app, saving a significant amount of time and effort. That’s why web-based remote visual support has a significantly higher customer acceptance rate than the app-based alternative. It also allows changes to workflows to be made on the fly and rapid integration with the company’s virtual assistant across all channels.
3. Hardware support vs Hardware and software
While some companies need to provide service only for physical products, others – especially smart home tech suppliers – have to offer guidance for both devices and their associate apps. Supporting software means several tools are potentially relevant, ranging from relatively intrusive desktop sharing to mobile mirroring and co-browsing options. These latter two technologies have the advantage of driving higher end user acceptance, since customers are now acutely aware of privacy issues.
4. Single department vs. cross department platform
While a standalone solution can be ideal for small help desks or field service operations, large enterprises often opt for a cross-organizational platform in order to generate maximum value by driving knowledge sharing across service channels, including contact centers, field service and digital self-service. For example, a contact center agent can share images captured during a remote visual support session to better prepare a technician for a site visit. A cross-organizational platform also allows warm transfer – including a complete visual record of the interaction – from self-service to a live agent, ideal for use cases that require authorization.
5. Automation powered by Computer Vision AI
The most advanced remote visual support solutions now leverage visual data to automate processes using Computer Vision AI, across contact centers, field service and self-service channels. From automated visual agent decision support based on an ever-evolving visual knowledge base to full visual self-service, the technology is emerging as a genuine game-changer that’s transforming service delivery for many of the world’s biggest global groups.
Click here to download your complete guide to selecting a remote visual support solution – the top 10 considerations for all companies seeking to extract the best value from their digital transformations by deploying this revolutionary technology.
This article was first published on the TechSee blog.
