In recent years, the popularity of live video chat as a digital communication channel has skyrocketed.
During the pandemic, video calling apps provided an invaluable source of human contact during prolonged periods of lockdown and social distancing.
For businesses, video chatting has helped countless organizations to operate remotely, allowing employees to collaborate effectively while working from home.
As a result, video chat has become increasingly prevalent in customer service.
In fact, the use of video chat software for customer interactions has risen by 70% since March 2020!
Consequently, more and more organizations across all industries are adding video call apps to their websites and contact centers.
That being said, you might not be convinced that a video chat service is right for your business.
Or you might be keen to make use of an online video chat app, but aren’t sure which provider is right for you.
Well, this article will give you the answers you need! We’ll cover:
The use of video call for customer service comes with a myriad of advantages. It can benefit your businesses, your contact center and your customers!
In this section, we’ll explore the key benefits of implementing live video chat - let’s get started!
The problem with many digital engagement channels is that they strip away the human element of customer support.
Video chat rectifies this issue by enabling face-to-face customer conversations in the virtual realm.
As a result, your brand can communicate better with customers and provide a stronger sense of human connection.
This is significant because 75% of consumers prefer humanized communication when they’re engaging with a business online.
A video call combines the convenience of digital interaction with the humanized experience that customers crave.
One of the best things about video customer support, is that it replicates the in-store experience more closely than any other means of digital communication.
Through a video call, agents can engage visually as well as verbally. This adds a personal touch to any interaction which enhances the digital customer experience.
Providing these elevated customer experiences is crucial in today’s market.
Case in point, 80% of consumers deem a brand’s experience to be as important as the products or services it provides!
Furthermore, 58% of consumers will end ties with a business due to a negative experience or poor customer service.
By integrating video chat software into your website or contact center, you can provide exceptional service and experiences that keep your customers coming back for more!
By enhancing the customer experience with a free video chat app option, you’ll also see an increase in customer satisfaction rates.
This is important because happy customers are more likely to become repeat customers!
In fact, statistics from Salesforce indicate that 89% of consumers are inclined to make further purchases after positive experiences with a brand.
They’re also 38% more likely to recommend your business to others and engage in social media advocacy!
Having a video chat app for your website or contact center gives your customers access to real-time, personal, face-to-face customer service - wherever they are!
This is guaranteed to make your customers feel valued and boost their delight.
Not convinced? Well, Talkative has found that 94% of customers are happy with our video chat solution and rate it a positive experience.
Another great benefit of live video chat is its ability to help agents close sales.
How do we know this? Well, customer experience leaders say that video calls help them convert in almost 40% of their customer interactions, generating an average of $6.9 million to $60.8 million in new revenue!
Through a video call, sales agents can actually show customers your products and make informed recommendations.
There’s also an increased opportunity to upsell and to gain the knowledge required to offer sales advice tailored to the individual.
What’s more, video chatting can lower cart abandonment rates!
It also decreases the chance of a mid-sale chat abandonment.
Talkative’s customer Bravissimo, for example, has seen their chat abandonment drop to just 6% since implementing our video chat solution for customer interactions.
Video calls allow sales agents to guide customers through their journey, making the purchasing process a seamless experience.
When it comes to resolving complex customer issues as efficiently as possible, nothing gets the job done like a video call.
This is because video chat overcomes the limitations seen in written communication and communication by voice alone.
It combines visual and verbal engagement so that more information can be shared and greater understanding achieved.
This increases the likelihood of a first contact resolution and reduces the number of touchpoints required.
As well as increasing the chance of a first contact resolution, video chat can also improve overall resolution times.
Through a video call, customers can explain their issues with greater ease, clarity and speed than they would be able to do through a text-based web chat.
Agents can guide customers through the appropriate solution with the same ease.
Thus, a resolution is reached faster than it would be through other channels.
If your competitors are not yet offering an online video chat app for their customers, you can get a step ahead of them by implementing it first.
You may even be able to acquire more customers by doing so - 27% of European consumers say they would switch to a different brand if that business offered video chat for sales and customer service!
And if your competitors are already providing video customer engagement, there’s even more reason for you to implement it too!
By doing so, you can ensure you stay in the game as a strong competitor.
As we’ve touched upon, video chat software bridges the gap between face-to-face and digital interactions.
This reduces the need for in-person encounters, and thus the necessity of brick-and-mortar locations also decreases.
This is extremely beneficial, as renting and maintaining numerous physical locations can be a considerable expense!
Of course, there are some industries that will always value in-person service over digital.
But, as the pandemic has demonstrated, you can’t always guarantee that in-store service will be an option!
Video chats allows you to provide face-to-face customer support regardless of whether you have an accessible store/branch.
You may be under the impression that adding video chat support to your website or contact center is an expensive endeavor.
But this is not necessarily true!
With Talkative’s video chat solution, the installation process is both affordable and easy – no downloads or plugins required!
On top of that, Talkative’s video chat can be seamlessly integrated with all your other contact channels to create an omnichannel customer experience.
It means you can gain the benefits of improved conversion rates, greater efficiency, and a reduced need for physical locations - without high overheads or painful integrations.
It’s win-win for both your contact center, and your customers!
Now that we’ve detailed the pros of video chat software, you’ve likely realized that it’s a valuable and worthy investment.
The next step is to consider which provider is right for your business or contact center.
Fortunately, we’ve provided a comparison of three solid video chat solutions below!
With this guide, you can make an informed decision and find the perfect provider for your needs.
First up, let’s take a look at a leading option for financial and legal services: Surfly.
Surfly’s video chat solution is a useful collaboration tool that, like Talkative, has a great cobrowsing feature.
It’s especially suitable for B2B organizations that are looking for a video chat to help with the following tasks:
Surfly certainly excels in these areas, and if this is what you are looking for, they may be the right provider for you.
However, if you’re looking for a solution that’s more focussed on providing exceptional customer experiences and driving sales or conversions - you’ll want to consider other options!
Next up is Reve Chat - another video chat app provider.
Now, unlike Surfly, Reve Chat was designed for B2C organizations and customer-focussed communication.
Reve Chat’s platform is user friendly and, on the surface, it comes with similar capabilities to what we offer at Talkative.
But there are some important differences to take note of!
Firstly, the Talkative philosophy prioritizes the human connection and personalized experiences that customers love.
That’s why we tend to focus more on the human touch of live chat and video chat.
Reve Chat, by contrast, appears to place more emphasis on chatbots and automation in their marketing and brand narrative.
Secondly, Talkative video chat offers some advanced features that Reve Chat doesn't have at the time of writing.
Take virtual backgrounds and fully customizable widgets, for example.
And finally, Talkative was built specifically for mid-size organizations with contact centers at the heart of their business.
Reve chat, on the other hand, is much more suited to smaller organizations - meaning it might not be the right choice if you’re looking to create the best digital experiences possible.
Last up, there’s Talkative - the best video option for contact centers that want to see their customers smile.
Talkative provides an omnichannel suite of digital contact channels designed to humanize the customer journey.
Our customisable video chat provides excellent video call quality, and can be effortlessly integrated with your other channels too!
This allows your customers to switch seamlessly between channels with just a few clicks.
What’s more, our video chat allows your customers to connect with you, via your video app, from any of their mobile devices. This provides them with maximum convenience and flexibility!
With our video chat, you can also provide exceptional customer service and elevate conversions.
In fact, customers who use Talkative live video chat are up to 4x more likely to make a purchase!
It’s why leading brand names use Talkative to connect their website and contact center, providing their customers with a more human digital experience..
And if our word isn’t enough to convince you - take a look at our case studies and customer testimonials here!
It’s clear that the addition of a video app comes with many benefits for both your business and your customers.
From optimizing customer service to boosting conversions and reducing costs, there is much to be gained from making video calls a part of your brand experience.
Not only that, but video chat seems to be the future for customer service and contact centers - its popularity has surged since 2020 and is set to continue on this trajectory.
A study by Webhelp has revealed that 76% of consumers will continue to use video chat in the post-pandemic world, more so than they did before!
With this in mind, it’s imperative that businesses don’t underestimate the value of video customer service - or they may get left behind!
Luckily, Talkative can help you get started.
As we’ve demonstrated by comparison, we’re one of the strongest contenders in the market today.
We’re also one of the most flexible solutions, from our no-code chat widget builder to a sterling customer success support. This means we can work with you to create the best experiences possible for your customers.
With our help, you can reinvent your contact center and elevate your digital customer communication.
So, what are you waiting for? Book a demo with Talkative today!
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