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Video Chat Helps Companies Maintain "High Touch" Customer Experiences

Companies looking for better and more intuitive customer engagement these days are focusing on what’s known as “high touch” digital processes. “High touch” is a business model designed for customer interactions that are more intensive, as opposed to “low touch,” where interaction is minimal and transactional. High touch interactions are common in industries such as financial services or healthcare, where a significant portion of customers won’t be satisfied with an FAQ page or an IVR menu.

At the same time, companies are looking for ways to streamline their operations. So can you maintain “high touch” while simultaneously automating customer support via digital transformation? In some cases, yes…and technology can help.

“There are moments when self-service is a more cost-effective choice for a business and the least amount of friction for the consumer,” wrote Tom Martin for Business2Community. “Then there are those moments when a financial transaction has a high dollar amount, the length or impact of the decision is long, and one’s ability to understand the alternatives is low. Those moments tend to be more personal, emotional, and complex. In these critical advisory moments, the proper engagement channel can be a game-changer for brands looking to win customer loyalty.”

Some companies are solving the problem by turning to video chat. Adding a video experience can help build trust and move a customer from intent to action, according to Martin. But it’s vital that the video experience be built directly into your web site, so customers can communicate while they’re still part of your captive audience.

“Building an online user experience for your web properties is a heavy expense. So why would you want your customers to leave your website or app and download software to chat? Embedding video into your current domain benefits your customers and your brand. There is no need to leave your website or app, and your brand stays top of mind.”

In addition to being cumbersome, third-party software can also expose your company to security and data privacy issues. While video chat won’t work for every business – it is, after all, labor-intensive – for “high touch” businesses, it’s an investment in the future.

Edited by Luke Bellos