Remote Support Gives Agents a New Look Into the Customer Experience

How often do your customers call and struggle to describe their issues? Your agents can’t see blinking router lights or disconnected wires, for example, making it harder to provide the steps to fix it. A long and frustrating call often ends with the agent scheduling a service appointment. In many cases, you can solve the problem with remote support software. It brings agents into customers’ homes virtually, removing the visual gap and ending their frustration faster.  

Communications service providers are already benefiting from remote support software as 75% use it for virtual onsite job training. But with only 44% using it for direct customer support, there’s a big opportunity to improve the customer experience. With more people working from home, any connectivity issues are magnified. And not being able to watch their favorite shows, play online games, or talk to family and friends leads to irate customers. 

All this is to say that the need for fast resolutions is more important than ever. Customers agree, with 61% preferring remote visual support because it provides the fastest response. 

Remote support software is more than video support

Remote support goes farther in enhancing your customer experience. It’s more consistent with the service customers receive in your retail locations and other in-person interactions. Face-to-face engagement helps build customer relationships to make them more loyal. Eye contact helps convey the empathy that doesn’t come across on the phone when trying to help customers get back online.

Agents can also get a boost with upselling or cross-sell opportunities. They can “bring the product to the customer” visually. Instead of describing new features of the latest iPhone, they can show them in action. This can raise the interest level and curiosity, ultimately closing more deals faster.

It’s not just the call center experience that can benefit. When field service technicians run into complex issues, they can reach out to more experienced counterparts. The experts can walk them through these more complex fixes on screen. You might consider creating a technician team for these situations. They can also be available for customers to set up virtual self-installation support appointments.

Expand your remote support capabilities

Communications service providers have loads of customer data. Integrating that data onto a unified platform to provide a 360-degree view of the customer lets you take their remote support experience to the next level. Instead of a standalone tool, you can leverage that view alongside a customer’s existing case history, data, business processes, and more. This gives agents valuable context to personalize service by acknowledging past issues while addressing their immediate needs. This integration allows providers to expand remote support through internal channels for better appointment routing, for example, and externally so customers can schedule virtual appointments.

Applying artificial intelligence (AI) to remote support software provides more benefits. By analyzing customer and equipment data, AI can offer agents specific questions and steps to diagnose and fix problems faster. The AI might identify a common issue with a phone model’s wireless access that the agent can show the customer how to fix by changing a phone setting. For more complex issues, analyzing customers’ data can help determine if they’d be a good candidate for a remote appointment. And it can help match them with a technician with the right skills for their issue. AI-powered insights can also personalize next-best actions and offers to increase sales.  

Remote support software benefits for communications service providers

Your customer experience is important, but there are also key benefits for your operations. Remote support software empowers agents to be more efficient. Troubleshooting resolves issues faster when the agent sees what the customer sees. It’s also useful for self-installation support, explaining bill charges, showing how to use phone or remote control features, and more. Service providers see the following benefits:

• Lower costs with fewer truck rolls — a huge plus with current gas prices
• Lower carbon footprint which appeals to sustainability-conscious consumers and business customers
• Faster issue resolution so agents can help more customers
• Higher customer satisfaction with an easier option to get problems resolved
• Differentiated telecom video experiences to stand out from competitors
• Better agent efficiency with auto-filled tickets and information for faster resolution

Take your customer experience to the next level 

Your customers need internet and phone access more than ever. Gone are the days of scheduling a fix a week out and having customers stick with you. Remote support software opens up a new experience. Not only can you fix their issues faster, but you also extend the visual personal touch to strengthen your customer relationships.