5 Ways Visual Technology Transforms the Customer Experience

Technology used to be ugly.

Gone are the days of bulky, monochrome monitors, when people interacted with information through green words on a black screen.

Today we live in a world of brilliant images, HD videos and visually stunning UX-enhanced design. Our smartphones can show us the world with a few finger taps. We can talk face-to-face with anyone in the world.

As technology evolves, some businesses are still hesitant to embrace the visual revolution, opting for text-based communication or relying solely on automation and AI. However, those who have ventured into the realm of visual technology are redefining the customer experience in remarkable ways.

That’s because seeing (and being seen) is an advantage. It adds speed, clarity and confidence to every interaction. And there’s hard scientific proof to back it up.

Here’s why visual technology adopters are revolutionizing the customer experience in enterprise contact centers:

It's a well-known fact that humans are predominantly visual beings. Research suggests that somewhere between 80-90% of the information we perceive and process is through our sense of sight.

Our innate preference for visual stimuli plays a crucial role in how customers interact with and perceive a brand. Visual support technology provides an opportunity for customer service organizations to connect with customers on a more personal level.

When customers can see who they're dealing with, it adds a layer of personalization and engagement that words alone cannot achieve. They feel connected, heard and seen.

Approximately 65% of people are visual learners.

When faced with a product issue, customers often seek visual guidance, such as how-to videos on platforms like YouTube. Integrating visual elements, such as video tutorials or real-time video assistance, into customer service helps meet the preferences of visual learners, making information more accessible and understandable.

When they are standing in front of a broken dryer, the last thing they want to do is pore over a thick paper manual or a monster PDF. They want to be shown how to fix the problem. They want to see a solution.

In the fast-paced world of customer service, time is of the essence.

You’ve always heard that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” but have you ever considered how that applies to customer experience?

For busy contact center agents, the true value lies in efficiency. The average reading rate for adults is around 250 words a minute. If you want to communicate with 1000 words of text, it will take you 4 minutes.

But a picture (or video) will get the conversation forward faster. Much faster.

That’s because the human brain processes images 60,000 times faster than text (minutes vs milliseconds)!

Visual technology enables quicker comprehension and accelerated problem-solving, providing a significant advantage for busy contact center agents.

Back in grade school, if you were caught staring, you might be told to “Take a picture; it will last longer.”

As it turns out, that comeback holds some scientific truth. Studies have shown that when text is accompanied by relevant images, recall improves by as much as 65%.

Visual ticketing systems and troubleshooting guides in customer service contribute to longer retention of important information for both customers and service agents. It's not just about providing solutions but empowering customers with knowledge that lasts.

It’s like that old saying, “Give someone a fish and feed them for a day. Teach them how to fish and feed them for life.” The same applies to showing customers how to reset their routers, unclog dishwasher drains and jumpstart their coffee machines.

Trust is the foundation of customer relations, and visual technology plays a pivotal role in building that trust. One of the biggest buzzwords in contact centers is “empathy” and nothing improves an agent’s emotional IQ more than a face-to-face conversation.

Humans are hardwired to respond to faces.

Live video allows for real-time eye contact and the conveyance of sincerity through facial expressions. Faces resonate with humans, and a face-to-face conversation, even in a virtual setting, fosters a sense of trust and understanding between the customer and the service provider.

As the service software landscape evolves, the core value of visual technology lies in its ability to humanize and enhance the customer experience.

By expanding your organization's field of vision, you have the potential to create stronger, more meaningful connections with your customers. Embrace the visual revolution, and unlock a world of delightful customer experiences.

This story was first published on NoJitter.com