Being able to provide personalized and efficient customer support is a crucial contributor to a great customer experience with a brand. There have been many innovations in the contact center and technical support space, with new technologies helping to accelerate improvements in this area.
The visual customer support model typically allows a one-to-one video interaction with an agent or tech support representative that could occur via a variety of devices or channels. There are a wide range of advantages to this approach.
I recently interviewed executives from two different companies providing visual customer support, each with their own unique approach and value proposition.
CXConcierge from Lifesize Broadens the Visual Experience Approach
Founded in 2005, Lifesize is a provider of omnichannel contact center and video conferencing technologies. The company merged with cloud contact center Serenova in 2020 and has a global footprint.
Lifesize has been offering a video contact center solution, CXEngage Video, since 2020. CXEngage Video enables contact center agents to quickly start a video-based conversation from any support channel — including voice, email, chat, SMS, and social media.
“We have found if a consumer needs help, they often want a human. Of course, simple things can be taken care of via automation but complex interactions are often best handled with a human interaction. It allows for it to be personal and also allows tech support to actually see the problem. Sometimes it’s not really about the person seeing the agent, it’s about the agent or technician getting eyes on the issue,” says Trent Waterhouse, CEO of Lifesize. The technology has been particularly useful in industry sectors such as utilities, telecom, and retail as well as financial services, insurance, and healthcare.
The company recently launched CXConcierge, which reverses the model, allowing for customers to initiate the video experience, which can occur in a variety of channels. The customer can now have an instant video connection with an agent, via an organization’s self-service apps, websites, and kiosks. CXConcierge combines Lifesize’s video conferencing and open-architecture omnichannel contact center technologies into one solution. It can be tailored for how the specific brand wants to use it with customized user interface controls, secure user identification and multi-factor authentication, as well as connections to the integrations customers need.
CXConcierge has all the functionalities that CXEngage Video has, including using AI and machine learning (ML) to review each session and analyze it. Lifesize is integrated with Observe.ai and customers are using the insights for quality management, sentiment analysis, and to monitor if certain issues are repeatedly being asked about.
CXConcierge can be used for online customer support, digital customer experience for brick and mortar as well as private, one on one video consultation calls.
“It’s exciting to think of the applications of this, particularly in travel and hospitality. For example, if you are at a train station or airport using a kiosk and a question or issue comes up, the customer simply has to touch a physical or virtual button to be connected to a live person who is specifically trained on that issue. Maybe they need help with ticketing, maybe they have a question about directions for finding something in their destination. The video interaction is controlled just like a voice call where it is queued and skills-based routed,” says Waterhouse. This may result in a lower cost to serve as specialists can be more centralized.
CXConcierge may require some forward thinking, but the solution has already been used in some unique ways. BWH Hotel Group is using it for a kiosk-type of experience, but using a full, lifesize hologram box. “The approach fits the brand model, as its unique and hip. It’s been in place at multiple locations in the Amsterdam area, and so far, it’s going well,” says Waterhouse. This was a collaboration with the hotel, Holoconnects, Arribatec Hospitality, and Lifesize.
Waterhouse admits that it can be challenging for brands to accept technologies that are moving away from the transactional model of contact center interaction. Says Waterhouse, “You really have to find that Chief Customer Officer or VP Customer Service that is wanting to change that dynamic and shift culture away from using technology to almost hide from customers, rather than as a tool to enable and engage, to provide a better experience and deepen loyalty.”
IrisCX Provides Mobile Video Support While Creating Context-Driven Insights
IrisCX provides a secure, end-to-end customer interaction video platform leveraging augmented reality (AR), AI, and process automation. It supports self-help and live video sessions on smartphones, at a customer’s convenience, with no app required.
Based in Calgary and founded in 2018, the company’s genesis came about from the co-founders lamenting poor customer experiences including customer service phone support having limited hours, not being able to speak to someone who was an expert, and then waiting for a technician to do an actual repair. And when repairs were done, finding that it was a relatively simple fix that they could have done on their own, if they had access to the right type of support.
“When customers engage with a brand, they often land on a website, select the product, set it up at home and then if something goes wrong, that’s where it might divert into a non-brand experience. We wanted to focus on helping companies provide a single brand experience across the entire customer interaction,” says Luke Krueger, IrisCX co-founder.
“Providing video support as a channel has been mainstream for a while now and providing support via that channel is not necessarily difficult. However, IrisCX was purpose-built to be browser based. Most people don’t want to have to download an app to get help or support. Our browser-based technology has a universal connection to provide a smart video platform. The solution can be completely white-labeled for the brand using it,” Krueger adds.
Another differentiator is IrisCX’s ability to use computer vision, conversational intelligence, and ML to create insights gathered from these video sessions. These insights are then used to create guides to help choose and sell a product, as well as troubleshoot during an install. The guides can be both static and dynamic. Dynamic guides allow for context-driven changes. As an example, a new employee can leverage the computer vision technology to apply specific instructions based on that particular product and it can be done in the moment. IrisCX has created a library of solutions on how to best solve problems and allows customers access to that IP.
Krueger shared that the company is seeing an explosion in interest for retail-oriented home products that consumers are considering purchasing. “Our technology is perfect for this, when it’s related to a physical product and context is needed for aspects such as space, style, and lighting. It’s really a consultative sales model. People are buying certain classes of products infrequently and may have limited experience. For example, a wide screen TV or a new home sound system. The sales consultant can see the atmosphere and the set up and can make better suggestions. People will spend more if they have confidence in the information they are getting from their experience.”
The data also creates opportunity for brands. “We have found that companies, particularly retail clients, have not been able to have access to this type of video information. By interacting during critical moments of the customer journey and then using the insights gleaned, brands have access to a wide range of data that hasn’t been uncovered before,” says Krueger.
According to the company, benefits could include:
- Insight into consumer decision making
- Insight into sales and support processes
- Increased revenue through virtual pre-sales and sales programs
- The ability to address product design and performance issues more quickly
- The ability to lower carbon footprint as less trucks will need to be dispatched
Average customer satisfaction for companies using IrisCX is very high, measuring 9.6 out of 10. Krueger attributes this to the ability to meet needs on demand and in minutes. “We have discovered that 90% of problems can be solved in 8 minutes. This is a complete shift for companies and consumers. People are wanting expert advice in an easy-to-use channel, and IrisCX can deliver that.”
IrisCX has enabled more than 30,000 video sessions between product experts and consumers, seeing growth with home product brands, home furnishings, connected products, and home services. The company has about 40 customers including Enbridge, Behr, Con Edison, Span, Omega Builders and Moen.
Author Information
As a detail-oriented researcher, Sherril is expert at discovering, gathering and compiling industry and market data to create clear, actionable market and competitive intelligence. With deep experience in market analysis and segmentation she is a consummate collaborator with strong communication skills adept at supporting and forming relationships with cross-functional teams in all levels of organizations.
She brings more than 20 years of experience in technology research and marketing; prior to her current role, she was a Research Analyst at Omdia, authoring market and ecosystem reports on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and User Interface technologies. Sherril was previously Manager of Market Research at Intrado Life and Safety, providing competitive analysis and intelligence, business development support, and analyst relations.
Sherril holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from University of Colorado, Boulder and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University.
