How to Choose a Visual Remote Support Solution

Customer service is forever connected to the sounds of a telephone call.

The pre-recorded rundown of IVR menu options.

The agonizing loop of smooth jazz-inspired hold music.

And ultimately, the calm and friendly voice of the agent.

Then came emails, texts and chatbots.

The rise of personal computers and smartphones put keyboards at the center of our communications.

We typed out our problems and waited for the three animated dots to conjure a response.

And for decades, everything worked just fine with voice and text.

But humans are visual animals.

Our brains process pictures and video exponentially faster than they process text.

And showing AND telling, always seems to get us from problem to resolution faster.

So if seeing is the secret to speedier customer service solutions, then why do so many organizations drag their feet when it comes to implementing video support?

As it turns out, there are lots of reasons:

• Agents don’t want to be on camera.

• Leadership thinks customers aren’t ready for video support.

• Voice and text have worked fine for years.

Every company has their own list for keeping the blindfolds on and to be honest, visual service doesn’t make sense for everyone.

But sometimes the biggest blocker to adding a visual remote support solution is that companies don’t really know where to start. Contact centers are busy places that don’t always have the luxury of time for deep research on the latest tools, trends and technology.

Sometimes they need a little nudge in the right direction.

So, if you’re a contact center leader wondering how and why to add a visual component to your CX tech stack, here’s a quick-start guide for assessing your options.

It might help to clarify what we’re talking about when we talk about “visual remote support.”

Sometimes it’s called “remote visual support,” “video support” or “visual assistance.” Essentially, it’s all the same thing.

But keep in mind that we’re NOT talking about teleconferencing and video calls.

This isn’t Zoom or Teams and filling your screen “Brady Bunch style” with a grid of talking heads.

This is not PopPop catching up with the grandkids via Facetime or WhatsApp.

Visual Remote Support is advanced visual service software that connects to (and works with) your existing contact center technology stack. It’s a professional solution that increases process efficiency, speeds problem resolution and improves the overall customer experience.

This is a conversation about choosing to go beyond just talk and text and add visuals to your customer interactions.

This is about adding a whole new dimension to your contact center.

First, let’s establish that today’s customers absolutely want visual remote support options.

According to Customer Think, video calls have gone up 48% since the end of the pandemic.

Salesforce research shows that more than 94% of retailers currently offer, or plan to offer, virtual reality options for customers.

And research from Gartner indicates that customer satisfaction scores can increase by up to 30% when visual remote support is utilized.

Why? Because customers prefer more visual and direct forms of communication.

And visual technology is central to the ongoing evolution of contact centers towards more integrated and customer-centric service models.

Video support plays a critical role in delivering a more personalized and responsive customer experience.

It sounds like a silly question, but knowing exactly how and where remote visual support can improve your customer experience is important to understand before going forward.

It might not be a fit.

That’s why it’s worth taking a closer look at your workflows and processes to understand exactly how a visual solution could improve efficiency.

Visual remote support makes sense if your contact center:

• Supports complex products that require advanced troubleshooting

• Struggles with a high call volume and needs to reduce resolution time

• Provides technical support that requires more precise guidance

• Wants to deliver a more personal customer experience

Visual remote support is more than just adding video to customer calls.

While adding a face-to-face, human connection has its benefits, the real value comes from allowing your agents to put expert eyes on the problem.

By giving customers the power to show AND tell at the same time, you save precious minutes that would have otherwise been wasted by customers struggling to describe something complex over the phone or in a text or email.

Instead of “my coffee maker’s steam thingy is making a funny squeaking noise when I press the button.”

A customer can point their smartphone’s back camera at the appliance to give the agent immediate context with live video.

An agent can SEE which button is pressed, they can HEAR the squeak of the steam wand and they can ANALYZE that there is likely a gasket that needs to be replaced.

If it was a quick fix, visual remote support would allow the agent to GUIDE the customer step-by-step through a simple repair, completely eliminating the need for a product return or on-site repair call.

In most cases, visual support provides the shortest distance between problem and solution.

Every company has their own process for evaluating new digital tools. Maybe you have 20 questions, maybe you have 200.

But here are 4 high-level queries to help narrow down your visual remote support choices.

Is it compatible?

If a solution doesn’t connect with your current platform, then it’s not really a solution. It needs to adapt to your daily digital environment. You need a remote support tool to use the data you have and share the data it collects. The last thing you want to do is build an arsenal of standalone solutions that don’t talk to each other and only add extra steps and layers of frustration.

Is it easy to use?

If it’s not, your agents won’t use it and your customers will get annoyed. Keep in mind that almost half (49%) of customers have left a brand in the past year due to bad customer experiences.

The lines between B2B and B2C get blurrier every day. The more you can use tools that are as intuitive and friendly as the best-selling and most-used consumer apps, the better your adoption rates and CSAT scores will be.

Is it simple like FaceTime? Easy as Uber? As intuitive as Amazon? It should be.

Will it scale?

Is the solution designed to grow with your company? How does it leverage AI to help your organization get smarter with every customer interaction? Does it regularly update integrations and forge new partnerships?

Adopting a visual remote support solution isn’t a casual fling. It’s the start of a serious software relationship and it’s totally justified to ask questions like, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”

Is it secure?

Don’t forget that digital threats are evolving just as quickly as technology. If security and compliance are a paramount concern for your company, make certain that the creators of your visual support solution feel the same way.

Confirm that your specific security standards can be met, whether you operate globally (GDPR) or deal with sensitive personal medical information (HIPAA).

The capabilities of any visual support solution will vary, but most will come with these core features:

Real-time video - Clear and reliable video is table stakes when it comes to visual remote support. You want a sharp, consistent picture with a signal that can hold its own.

• What is the video resolution and frame rate? How does it perform under varying network conditions?

• Are there features to optimize video quality during low bandwidth conditions?

• How often do video calls drop or experience significant lag?

Annotation tools - The ability to annotate on a customer’s screen can improve the clarity of communication and speed to a solution. Some tools use augmented reality to add even more layers of real-time insight to customer problems.

• What types of annotations are available (e.g., drawing, text, shapes, highlighting)?

• Can annotations be made in real-time during a video call?

• Are there features to save or export annotated images or videos for future reference?

Generative AI - Many visual remote support solutions are incorporating Gen AI into their features. While some use them as co-pilots and chatbots, others add them to digital process automation sequences and customer self-service workflows.

• What types of inputs can the AI process (e.g., text, voice, image, video)?

• How intuitive is the AI interface for both agents and customers?

• What are the potential cost savings or productivity gains from using the AI’s multimodal capabilities?

Once you narrow down what you want and need, the next step is vetting your vendors.

Choose a provider with proven expertise and a strong market reputation. Read customer testimonials and case studies to get insights into the real-world applications and effectiveness of their solution.

Ask about the levels of customer support and training. Is there a clear roadmap or onboarding process? Will you be assigned a Customer Success representative?

What is the plan for adoption? Are there contingencies in place if the solution isn’t embraced by agents and/or customers? Does the provider offer support or strategies for re-engagement?

In the end, it all comes down to money.

How much do these solutions cost? How much can they save you? And sometimes, how much additional revenue can they help you generate?

• What are the available pricing models?

• Is there a cost per seat or per call? A subscription fee?

• Do the pricing models fit your organization's needs and goals?

Speaking of goals, make sure there’s a clear understanding of ROI for the solution.

Solicit hard numbers and success stories from the provider’s previous clients. Compare apples to apples and set realistic expectations for your visual remote support rollout.

If your ROI aspirations aren’t aligned with industry standards, it’s probably time to go back to the top of the article and ask that super obvious question one more time:

Will visual remote support help?

It’s hard to imagine exactly what tomorrow’s service landscape will look like, but it will definitely be worth seeing.

Based on advances in AI, AR and VR, the days of rectangular screens and traditional physical space may be numbered. Maybe our washing machine will call for service when it needs it or even learn to fix itself.

However it shapes up, customer service is already on track to become more effective and efficient.

In the future, we’ll be more connected than ever before, with vast networks of people and programs working together to fix problems.

Solutions will be found faster. The blindfolds will come off. Our cameras will be on.

And our eyes will be wide open.