http://richcall.io

Implementing Video Chat

in Your Contact Center

Best Practices and Use Cases

Richcall.io presents the complete guide to implementing a new

video chat channel in your contact center. You'll learn about

video chat use cases, features to pay attention to, and tips on

tackling some of the challenges you can expect along the way.

Richcall.io wishes you a smooth launch of your new contact

center channel. Enjoy!

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Contents Is video chat really what you need? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 1 -

Align video chat goals with business objectives ---------------------------------------------------------------------- - 2 -

Choose the right software ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 6 -

Train your agents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 7 -

Run the pilot project -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 8 -

Monitor success and adjust the configuration ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - 9 -

Bonus ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 10 -

Copyright © 2016 RichCall.io All trademarks, trade names and logos referenced herein belong to their respective companies. This document is for informational

purposes only and provided without warranty of any kind. In no event will RichCall.io be liable for any loss or damage, direct or indirect, from the use of this

document.

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Is video chat really what you need?

Video Chat ≠ Web Chat

Firstly, “video chat” is not the same as “web chat”

or “live chat”. In this picture, taken from the 2016

Dimension Data report, you will see web chat and

video chat are presented as entirely different

contact center channels.

The term "web chat" suggests a one-to-many text

interaction – a single agent may handle several

non-voice chats with customers simultaneously.

The term "video chat" suggests a one-to-one video

interaction - business representatives use

software to interact with one customer at a time

in real time, using voice, video and web-

collaboration tools (e.g. screen sharing, co-

browsing, or file sharing).

The 2016 Global Contact Centre Benchmarking Report by Dimension Data indicates that a only a very

small number of contact centers currently employ video chat technology. However, this is soon set to

change, as many contact centers report they plan to implement it within the next year.

Contact center channels supported in 2016 and in the future

Video chat with a real estate agent

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Video Chat ≠ Video Call

It is a common misconception to assume that video chat is the same thing as video calling.

Video is an essential component in many video chat use cases. It is most often delivered as two way audio

+ one-way video (the customer can see the agent, but not vice versa). It provides a more personalized,

'in-store' customer experience, by allowing agents to effectively utilize their non-verbal presentation skills

while keeping preserving a level of pseudo-anonymity for their customers.

Two-way video is used when customers need to show things to the agent, to provide a more complete

view of the problem.

For some interactions, the video functionality of a video chat session isn't required and may be disabled.

Examples of this include customers needing support in navigating websites, filling out forms, or resolving

difficulties using software products. Neither the customer nor the contact center agent require video

here, but the web-collaboration tools provided by video chat are of great help in quickly resolving the

issue.

Align video chat goals with business objectives Expectations of the benefits of video chat will vary among stakeholders. The support department may

want to improve the overall customer experience, while the sales department may expect to increase

conversions. It is wise to consider the individual needs of all the stakeholders when establishing your goals

for a video chat implementation, so that the benefits are enjoyed by your whole company, and most

importantly, by your customers.

Video chat leads to higher sales

Implementing video chat as part of the sales funnel has proven hugely successful for some companies.

Read on for several examples.

______________________________________________________________________________

“Video chat provides customers with a richer sense of presence,

personalized experience by helped coordination of communication and

the support of emotional expression, and the real-time sharing of content”

Brian Manusama - Research Director at Gartner

______________________________________________________________________________

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Video sales

Video chat enables clients to contact experts at any time; from their office, home, or indeed anywhere

they might be. Secure online meetings featuring voice, video and content sharing tools provide the same

live experience as if the client was actually in your office.

A traditional phone call may be escalated to a video chat on the fly

This could be applied to almost any industry:

Financial services – customers feel better if they can actually see the person giving financial advice

and see visual illustrations, such as charts and tables.

Luxury retail - luxury consumers want the best products and service, and this applies online too.

Video chat provides the personal touch that they desire.

Online health – allow patients to meet with doctors and pharmacists online in a reassuring and

confidence inspiring setting.

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In-store kiosks with video and content sharing

Customers cannot always get all the information they need from in-store representatives. Video-enabled

interactive kiosks solve this problem, by allowing remote agents to answer any in-depth technical

questions posed by in-store customers.

In-store kiosks also help to reduce queuing times during peak hours.

Video chat software integrates with a kiosk’s peripherals (printer, scanner etc) to deliver a rich

collaboration experience. This can include the ability to print and share documents, scan IDs and obtain

customer signatures.

Immediate support for e-commerce websites

Video chat provides online shoppers with the opportunity to get immediate, personalized, visual support

at any stage of the purchase. Screen sharing and co-browsing features allow contact center agents to help

website visitors to select items and guide them to making a successful purchase. All of this increases

conversion and improves customer satisfaction.

Video chat improves customer support

Customer support is another great example of where video chat has proven popular. The greatest

advantage of video chat over traditional phone support is the ability of agents to "see things through the

customers eyes”, thanks to the latest hardware and video technology. Amazon’s MayDay service is

perhaps the best-known example of this.

Software tech support

Content sharing features such as co-browsing, screen sharing and app sharing allow a customer to show

an agent what is happening on their PC monitor or mobile device screen. This helps the agent to better

understand the context of the issue.

Advanced collaboration features allow an agent to draw lines on the customer’s screen, or use the pointer

to direct a client’s attention to specific buttons, links and other items.

The content sharing feature of video chat is applicable to a wide range of verticals, including online retail

and e-commerce, finance and banking, SaaS businesses, insurance and loan, government and many

others.

44%

of online consumers admit that one of the main features a website offers is the possibility to have their questions answered by a live person in the middle of a purchase.

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With the co-browsing feature both agent and customer can jointly navigate the same web page at the same time.

Hardware repair support

There are officially more mobile devices now than people in the world. Why not use them to give the

agent a full view of the problem exactly as the customer sees it. All a client needs to do is to share the

mobile device camera with the agent when communicating with him/her over video chat.

Examples:

Insurance - the client shares his camera to provide the agent with a video of the damage

Troubleshooting devices and equipment

John McEnroe Promoting Video Support for customers in Verizon’s spot. The full video is available at http://richcall.io/2016/09/23/the-great-john-mcenroe-promoting-the-video-support-service/

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Choose the right software The relative importance of video chat software features will depend on the business objectives you assign

to your new video chat channel.

Will you have blended agents?

If your agents will handle video chat interactions along with traditional phone calls, you will need software

that supports blended skill groups. This prevents agents from receiving phone calls and video calls at the

same time.

If you plan to dedicate a group of agents solely to the video chat channel, this feature is optional.

Will your agents need co-browsing?

Are your agents going to assist web visitors in navigating your website, including pages that require

authentication such as personal accounts? It is important to note that there are a number of ways to

implement a co-browsing capability, and not all of them support co-browsing on secure pages.

More details available in this post – http://richcall.io/2016/10/13/co-browsing-in-contact-centers-the-

devils-in-the-details/

Are you omnichannel?

If you are omnichannel, your new channel must also be able to share the customer context across all your

other contact center channels. It is advisable to check whether it's possible to provide the contact center

platform with the ID of customer requesting the video chat session.

Are mobile devices supported?

Even if you don't have plans to implement mobile interfaces in the short term, it is recommended to check

whether any software that you are considering supports mobile browsers and API/SDK for native mobile

apps.

Are you cloud ready?

If you’re in finance, healthcare, government or other industry for which there are regulations that do not

allow the fast adoption of cloud software, you will need the vendor to provide on-premises deployments.

Ask for it.

Will it integrate well with the agent desktop?

You’re going to provide your agent with one more tool to use.

Do you know exactly the number of interfaces your agents use at the moment?

Does the “unified desktop” term tell you something?

If so, don’t forget to ask the vendor about integration capabilities.

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Train your agents

Software training

Just as with any other software product, live chat requires its users to be trained.

Let your agents explore all the features of the video chat on their own – both from the agent’s side and

from the customer’s perspective too. Let them try to call each other to see how it works.

Train your agents to use all the web-collaboration tools provided to them, and discuss particular scenarios

where each tool can be used.

If your agents are blended, train them how to distinguish video calls from traditional phone calls.

Video-specific training

If you’re going to make your agents visible to

customers, you’ll need to carefully evaluate your

current staffing arrangements.

Agents who provide service over the phone or via

digital channels may feel uncomfortable with

appearing on video. On the other hand, some agents

will enjoy providing the more direct level of service that

video chat offers.

There may also be concerns from home-based agents,

who may not have a dedicated area that is appropriate

for video.

Once you have identified suitable agents, you will need to provide additional training so that they are able

to work effectively while on video. One of the biggest challenges for agents is being able to read from a

script while also looking into the camera to engage with the customer. The agents best-suited for video

chat customer engagement are those who are able to effectively provide service with minimal guidance

from scripts.

Other issues

What the customer sees matters. You need to check that both the agent and his/her surroundings are

presentable while on video.

Consider implementing a dress code which includes policies regarding tattoos, piercings, and unkempt

hair. Adjust the lighting so the agent is well illuminated, and if needed, create a backdrop to prevent

clients from seeing people walking behind the agent.

Video-enabled agent

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Run the pilot project A pilot project will allow you to:

Ensure that your customers adopt the new channel

Measure outcomes and decide whether the product is helping you to

reach your goals

Establish an initial team of trained agents which will train other agents

Estimate the number of licenses you need to purchase

Determine the server capacity required to implement video chat (for on-

premises deployments).

Define the scope and objectives

Explicitly state the objectives of the pilot. For example, "to prove that co-

browsing increases the performance of my support team".

Use the objectives to identify criteria for measuring the success of your pilot. For

example, "if performance really is increased, the FCR (first call resolution) rate

and the AHT (average handle time) will be better in the case of video chat

engagements".

Define the scope or the pilot. For example, "it will be sufficient to implement the

video chat widget on this specific section of the website in order to measure

success"

Define the group of agents

The group of agents that eventually receives the incoming video chat requests will need to develop new

technical skills. To this end, don’t choose your most tech savvy agents for the pilot project. While you

should choose agents who are not afraid of new technology, it is better to choose those who have a level

of technical skill that is representative of the rest of your team.

Include a champion in the pilot group – the agent, who can champion the new technology, will work as

an evangelist for the video chat software to maximise buy-in from the other agents, and act as a problem

solver when issues arise.

Train the pilot group as described above.

Deploy and evaluate

The more information you collect during the pilot, the more accurately you can evaluate its success and

decide how to proceed with the full deployment of video chat.

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Use all the existing contact center reporting and quality management tools to gather all the available

metrics on the pilot video chat engagements. Ensure that the video chat software records all the

interactions including voice, video and web-collaboration. If this is not possible, use other tools for voice

and screen recording.

When the pilot is complete, obtain feedback from the pilot group of agents, and measure its success using

the criteria you defined in the planning stage. It is a good idea to also contact a few customers who were

involved in the pilot project, to get their feedback about video chat.

Monitor success and adjust the configuration The set of metrics you should be measuring depends on your video chat objectives (for example, increased

sales or an enhanced support experience) and the people interacting with it. In this section we’ll list

several key metrics. You may also identify more specific ones depending on the business case.

One of the main measures of success is Usage, i.e. how many customers prefer video chat over the other

contact center channels?

Another important metric is the Average Waiting Time (AWT) – just as for traditional phone calls.

Average Handle Time (AHT) is a common contact center metric, although it should be interpreted

carefully, and in combination with other metrics. For example, if video chat is used for providing customer

support, a lower AHT is better. However, this assumes that the

agent really solved the problem rather than rushed the

customer off the phone. This leads us to another crucial metric

for customer satisfaction; the First Contact Resolution (FCR)

rate.

On the other hand, if video chat is used to sell a product by

demonstrating its features and benefits, then the video chat

AHT is likely to be higher than the phone AHT. This is fine if this

leads to better sales of course. To know if this is the case, you

must measure the Sales Conversion Rate (SC).

In any case, Customer Satisfaction should be measured

separately. If the video chat software provides customers with

an interface to rate their chat experience, use of this is highly

recommend. If not, feedback should be obtained from

customers via other means, which can be as simple as calling

them back randomly and asking them.

Last but not least, there is Agent Performance. It is likely that some agents will perform better than others

in video chat, and this is something to measure too. For agents who perform poorly, you will want to

review the recordings of their video chat sessions and consider if and how you can improve their

performance.

Key take away

_____________________________________

The video chat metrics to measure:

Channel Utilization

Average Waiting Time

Average Handle Time

First Contact Resolution Rate

Sales Conversion rate

Customer Satisfaction

Agent Performance

_____________________________________

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Bonus We hope that this whitepaper has given you a useful overview of the factors to consider when choosing

a video chat software solution to implement.

As a bonus, we offer you a free 1-year subscription for the on-premise version of RichCall video chat for

any number of agent seats!

How to get the free license?

Just go to http://richcall.io and sign up before February 23, 2017 with the contact details you entered to

download this whitepaper.