What is a video call contact center?

A video contact center is one that has added video calling into its operations as a customer communications channel.

Sales reps, customer service agents, tech support, and other teams can deliver immersive, face-to-face customer service experiences via live video chat. For example, agents might use a contact center video call to deliver visual product demonstrations, offer tech support, and resolve any number of customer issues.

(At the same time, video can be enabled internally as a collaboration channel. For example, video can allow remote technicians to solve more complex issues.)

Video empowers agents and customers to leverage visual cues and face-to-face interactions to reach faster resolutions, build relationships, and boost engagement and satisfaction. And it's not a standalone channel, either. It integrates with phone, live chat, email, and more.

Benefits of using a video contact center

For customer communications, video stands out as a channel that drives real-time engagement and personalization, all while delivering the efficiency and convenience customers crave.

Unsure? Let's take a look at some of the main benefits of visual engagement in a contact center.

Increased relationship-building through personalized human connections

Face-to-face customer service is the ultimate channel for facilitating personable, engaging experiences that foster trust and build relationships. But for customers, traveling to your local store to receive this type of service is often inconvenient and sometimes even impossible.

Video chat replicates face-to-face communication. It reminds customers that they’re interacting with a real person and not a faceless brand, helping to build authentic relationships and emotional connections with ease and convenience.

With visual insight into customer issues and needs, sales and customer service agents can tailor experiences and deliver a more personalized service. This translates to increased conversions, satisfaction, and loyalty.

Fast, real-time issue resolutions

Resolving issues via traditional channels like phone and email tends to be slow-paced, disrupted by miscommunication, transfers, and tedious back-and-forth. Video chat eliminates the need for lengthy descriptions, as customers can simply show agents the problem in real time via video.

Thanks to visual cues, agents can get an accurate firsthand picture of the issue, reducing misunderstandings and accelerating diagnosis. From there, agents can help customers solve the issue with enhanced comprehension and clarity, driving swift resolutions and boosting customer satisfaction.

Seamless omnichannel integration

Video contact centers don’t just offer video. They integrate with various other channels, such as phone, live chat, SMS, email, and social media, to create seamless omnichannel experiences.

Omnichannel integration unifies siloed channels to create consistent, cohesive experiences across touchpoints. So, if a customer were to raise a ticket via email or live chat and then escalate it to video, they can do it seamlessly without needing to repeat themselves.

Boosts productivity and bottom-line revenue

When agents can quickly and effectively diagnose issues and communicate complex concepts, they increase first-contact resolution (FCR) rates and slash average handling times. Along with boosting agent productivity, this benefits your bottom line by increasing customer satisfaction and the likelihood of recommendations.

For example, in Qualtrics’ Customer Trends Report, which surveyed 23,730 consumers across 23 countries, they found that 53% of bad experiences result in customers cutting their spend, costing 7% of sales.

However, positive experiences increase the likelihood of repeat purchases by 68% and the likelihood of recommendations by 97%.

Unsurprisingly, one of the ultimate dealbreakers of what makes a good/bad experience is how long it takes to reach a resolution. 46% of customers cited this as their top priority. So, fast resolutions directly translate to increased sales, recommendations, and revenue.

Increased cost-efficiency 

Thanks to video, agents can assist customers with technical issues remotely instead of having to book in-person appointments or travel to the customer’s location. This reduces the need for brick-and-mortar locations (and all of the overhead costs they accrue) as well as travel expenses.

Challenges of a video contact center

Despite the many benefits that video brings to the table, adding video to a contact center does come with a few challenges.

Significant technical and resource requirements

One of the most critical requirements to consider for adding video to a contact center is whether you have the resources available to reliably deliver HD-quality video call experiences.

Video calls require at least 1-2 Mbps of bandwidth for standard-quality calls and as much as 5 Mbps of bandwidth for HD video streaming from a single device. This is significantly higher than voice calls, which only require 80-100 kbps.

Failing to meet these requirements disrupts video experiences, causing issues like audio and visual lag, grainy pictures, robotic audio, and dropped connections. According to research, 91% of customers admitted they feel sales videos can help overcome objections during the sales process, so video quality matters.

On top of this, you also need to purchase high-quality webcams and microphones to ensure optimal video and voice quality.

Accessibility concerns and personal preferences

Using video call center software can have a steep learning curve for both agents and customers. If your customer base consists of demographics that are less tech-savvy, introducing video can lead to confusion and frustration.

You also need to take personal preferences into account. Certain demographics, such as Gen Z and millennials, typically prefer digital channels, whereas Gen X and Boomers prefer traditional channels. Using surveys to understand the preferences of your customers can help you understand if and where to integrate video.

Video fatigue

According to WorkLife, employees spend 37% of their time at work in meetings or coordinating them. The rise of remote working means that a huge chunk of these meetings takes place via video, increasing what’s been dubbed as “video fatigue.”

Customers who’ve just spent hours in video meetings won’t want to jump on yet another video call. If it’s the only option they have, it can lead to frustration and loss of loyalty.

But if it’s one of many options, there’s a chance customers won’t use it at all, which hurts your ROI. So, it’s crucial to understand where video can be integrated to deliver its full value to those who need it.

When to use a video contact center

Video added to a contact center is a versatile channel that can support a range of industries in their bid to create better customer experiences.

• Customer service and technical support: Via video, customer service and tech support agents can use visual cues to collaboratively troubleshoot issues, explain complex concepts, and fix problems.

• Retail and sales: Retail and sales use video contact centers to create immersive and interactive virtual shopping experiences. They can chat with sales reps, receive personalized recommendations, and watch product demonstrations with as much ease as if they were shopping in-store.

• Healthcare: Virtual consultations increase accessibility to health services for patients in remote areas or those with mobility restrictions or busy schedules. Patients and healthcare professionals can meet online to discuss and showcase symptoms, receive medical advice, and deliver virtual therapy and physiotherapy.

• Banking, finance, and insurance services: Financial services use video to give customized advice and support to customers, helping them navigate loan applications, open bank accounts, use financial apps, and complete insurance claims, for example. Video is also used to conduct virtual insurance assessments and identity verifications.

With remote working, automation, and AI firmly integrated into the business landscape, the use cases of video contact centers across industries are sure to multiply.

How to implement video contact center software in your business

One of the main reasons contact centers fail to implement video is because they simply don’t know where to start. So, let’s walk through how to launch a video contact center in five easy steps.

1. Identify where to implement a video call center: Which of your departments would most benefit from offering video calls? Begin by assessing the needs of each department, taking into account customer preferences, technological readiness, and internal video use cases to pinpoint where call center video software will offer the most value.

2. Select a compatible solution: Seek a video contact center solution with features and functionalities that align with business needs, such as screen-sharing and recording. It should also integrate with your current systems and applications, taking into account factors like scalability, customizations, and vendor support.

3. Ready your resources: Make sure you have sufficient bandwidth to support your video-calling needs, along with all the equipment needed to ensure quality interactions (good microphones, webcams, etc.). You’ll also want to train your employees to use the platform and communicate effectively (more on that later).

4. Test your video channel and gather feedback: Conduct a pilot run of your video contact center solution on a few select customers. Use their feedback to identify any issues that need fixing before you roll the channel out to the masses.

5. Launch, track, and improve: After rolling out a video solution, track performance metrics to gauge whether it's delivering value. Key metrics to track include FCR, average handling times, customer satisfaction scores, and customer effort scores (CES). Use these metrics to guide continuous improvements.

How to train staff to effectively use video in a contact center

If employees don’t know how to use your software, it can lead to mistakes being made and customer experiences being hurt.

Combine online how-to-guides and videos with manager-directed training and role-playing activities to ensure that employees:

• Know how to navigate and use your software

• Can exercise key communication skills like maintaining eye contact, speaking clearly, and using gestures

• Know how to achieve good lighting, optimal camera positioning, and a professional background

Must-have features in a video contact center solution

Besides video calling, what should you look for in a video call center solution? While every software is built differently, there are 11 essential features you need to ensure you deliver optimal and efficient video experiences.

1. Screen-sharing: This key feature enables video participants to share their screens and content, helping agents speedily troubleshoot and fix technical issues and explain complex concepts.

2. Video messaging: Real-time video messaging allows participants to send instant messages to video participants, facilitating easy data-sharing.

3. Audio/video recording: With secure recording, you can capture audio and video experiences for record-keeping, training, and compliance purposes.

4. Analytics: Analytics and reporting features track key performance indicators to help you gauge agent performance and customer satisfaction, driving continuous optimization and improvements.

5. Interactive voice response (IVR) systems: Along with intelligently routing customers to the right agent or department, IVR systems allow customers to direct themselves to video options.

6. Integrations: Your video solution should seamlessly integrate with your business apps and workflows, such as your CRM and ecommerce tools. For example, you could enable Slack users to launch live video meetings right within your workspace, boosting productivity and efficiency.

7. AI-powered features: Advanced video contact center solutions can offer AI-powered features that can transcribe, translate, and caption audio. This improves accessibility for hard-of-hearing users, removes language barriers, and facilitates easier record-keeping and searching.

8. Omnichannel support: Your video contact center solution should natively integrate with other channels to facilitate seamless omnichannel service. Look for a solution that connects with the channels your customers use — live chat, email, phone, etc.

9. Customizations: Look out for solutions that enhance your video CX with tailored workflows and branded elements to facilitate personalized, on-brand customer experiences.

10. User-friendly interface: An intuitive interface ensures that employees and customers can smoothly navigate your software to achieve their goals. This reduces user adoption and onboarding times, making for more streamlined, uninterrupted video experiences.

11. Security features: Choose a solution with AES-256 and end-to-end encryptions along with advanced firewall controls and encrypted recording. Securing video with two-factor authentication is also a must to verify user identity, safeguarding videos against hijacking, fraud, and other threats.

Leverage video in your contact center to revolutionize customer communication

The true value of a video contact center lies in its ability to conveniently drive first-contact resolutions faster in a way that’s engaging and personalized and facilitates human connection.

By integrating live interactive video into your desktop, mobile, and web applications, you can enable sales reps and customer service agents to troubleshoot and fix issues remotely, host virtual product demonstrations, give advice, and more. Or allow seamless collaboration between agents and back-office experts.

There’s also the opportunity to access a range of advanced video features, such as screen sharing, audio and video recording, analytics, and messaging, all bolstered with AI-powered capabilities like audio translation, transcription, and captioning.

Learn more about Vonage Contact Center capabilities, or speak to an expert today.