Customer service has long been telephony-centric when it comes to how agents engage with customers, but digital channels have changed the customer experience (CX) landscape. Webchat is a good solution for simple inquiries but limited in its capabilities and impersonal. Email is asynchronous and easy to use, but not the most effective for quick resolutions. Until recently, video was too costly, not user-friendly, and was a poor substitute for landline-quality telephony. However, video CX has now become a viable option for the contact center. It is no longer as costly and complex as it once was and proves to be a valuable asset in providing efficient, meaningful and humanized service.

It’s also important to consider the use cases for video by industry. Some verticals can exponentially improve customer satisfaction levels by introducing video to provide a new level of comfort and support to customers dealing with sensitive and high-stress issues. To illustrate, here are three use cases by industry for video in the contact center.

Financial Services

As with any other vertical market, different forms of customer service best lend themselves to certain channels. Banks have done a particularly good job of migrating customers to online and digital forms of engagement, both for everyday banking needs and customer service. However, as customers have fewer reasons to step foot in a branch now, banks risk losing touch with them. Given that banking relationships are built on trust, they need to find other ways to stay connected with customers.

Video lends itself very well here, as face-to-face contact is integral for interpersonal trust, along with the benefit of being able to read the customer’s body language. Many consumers are uncomfortable discussing their finances, but the richness of video CX provides more ways for agents to show empathy and put customers at ease. This is also a prime example of where AI can further enhance the engagement with sentiment analysis that will coach agents with appropriate responses based on subtle visual cues they may not catch on their own.

On a more practical level, video provides more options for banks to have deep customer engagement outside of normal banking hours, whether it be with contact center agents, financial advisors or loan officers. Not every interaction needs to be video-based, but for customers who want personalized, face-to-face engagement – especially when it’s inconvenient to visit a branch in person – video CX will offer the best option.

Insurance

Insurance is another branch of the financial services tree, and one with its own set of use cases for video CX. Many consumers have a limited understanding of the offerings and may only interact with their insurance provider after something bad has happened. These factors can create anxious moments, whether buying or renewing a policy, or going through the process of filing a claim.

To some extent, these interactions can be handled over the phone or via a mix of digital channels. Home and auto insurance companies have certainly embraced the latter to cut costs and streamline manual workflows. However, when first-time home buyers are trying to make informed choices, or when someone has just rear-ended your car, a chatbot won’t suffice.

Not all customers will be comfortable going on video with a stranger, but when these types of situations arise, nothing matters more to consumers than feeling supported by an empathetic and informed agent. Even if only a small number of customers choose to use video CX, it will likely make a big difference in their satisfaction levels.

That will also largely depend on how well the agent is trained for video interactions, and their ability to put customers at ease. As with banking, this is where face-to-face contact and sentiment analysis can make for a customer experience that other communication channels simply cannot deliver.

Healthcare

Aside from being one of the largest sectors of the economy, healthcare is distinct in that providers are dealing with patients, not customers. The language around video needs to be different, and the engagement scenarios require sensitivity and compassion – qualities not often associated with consumer-oriented forms of customer service. Outcomes are not measured with marketing or social media metrics, but on its impact with the community.

Before considering the use cases for video CX, we must distinguish between providing healthcare and providing patient support. In terms of CX and contact center applications, the focus would be the latter and would generally occur both before and after the patient receives healthcare. This includes scheduling appointments, consults with healthcare providers, and follow-ups.

All these interactions are critical for optimizing patient outcomes. Video may not add much value for routine needs like a dental visit, getting a blood test or your annual physical, but the stakes are higher for more serious needs.

Technology is creating treatment options we never had before, and with an aging population and longer lifespans enabled by better care, the demands on healthcare will only increase. As such, there are countless scenarios where the sensitivity and compassion that video CX enables become essential for patient care.

This can be assuring for patients who are remote or have mobility issues and are not able to travel to a facility. This also makes it easier for patients to engage with specialists from far away who can properly support them during their patient journey.