“Thank you for your patience. All of our agents are still busy. Please continue to hold and the next available agent will take your call”

It is one of the biggest annoyances for customers: long wait times for the customer service. Also high on that list are call centers with very limited opening hours and tedious waiting music on the phone. It seems to take the ‘service’ out of customer service and since you are reading this blog we assume that you do care about offering that service to your customers!

In general, people prefer solving questions or problems on their own. Video offers a fitting solution: it is available 24/7 and helps customers to independently solve their problem. However, it takes some preparation to start using video to solve frequently asked questions. There are three common mistakes, which you will avoid after reading this blog:

#1 Videos are not easily adaptable

When producing a video, take into account that information can change. For example, the return policy for your product changes, your logo gets an update or legislations are altered. Now, what is left of the video you created?

Of course, sometimes it is inevitable that a video needs to be produced all over again. Yet, in most cases you can factor in changes that will take place in the distant future.

For starters, consider the style of your video: will it be a live-action or animation video? Spoiler alert; animation is the easiest to adapt. However, if you consider some elements that might change, there is no harm in using videos with actors or employees and it might be easier to get some emotions across to your audience.

In some videos you might want to use facts and figures to get your point across. Consider placing these in the frame visually, instead of having the voice-over or actor recite them.

Let’s say you want to record a video about your return policy. The voice-over can then point out that in the left-hand corner of the screen you can see the deadline for returns. Replacing a number on a screen is more efficient than giving the video an entire new voice-over. This is therefore a simple way to make your video future proof.

This video used by vliegtickets.nl deals with frequently asked questions about checking in. One of the most pressing questions is how long in advance travellers should be at the airport before departure. During this scene the voice-over merely says “Make sure you are at the airport on time”. The image in the video shows how many hours before the flight they should arrive at the airport. This might be different in the future and can also depend on whether the flight is continental or intercontinental. Through adding the numbers in the image it’s easy to adapt.

Additionally, you can even choose to add the number as an interactive layer. That way you don’t even need your production company if anything changes.

Interactive videos consist of multiple steps and layers, which means you only have to replace or change the parts that are no longer up-to-date.

#2 Videos are not relevant

Because video has proven it’s worth, costs are less and less of a threshold for companies to use videos. However, video is still more of an investment compared to written text, such as a FAQ page.

For most videos, one of the most important objectives fis to reach as many people in your target audience as possible. For customer service videos it is a slightly different story: it is not necessarily about reaching a large audience, but rather about fixing a problem or answering a question in order to help the people in your customer base that need assistance.

That is why it is important to keep your customers in mind when producing customer service videos. Try to collect the most pressing frequently asked questions and the corresponding answers. Think of how these would best translate to video. Ask yourself these questions before you start:

•    What are the frequently asked questions?
•    Through what channels are these questions asked?
•    What are the most efficient answers?
•    How could you visualize these answers into clear videos?

Customer service videos not only have a positive effect on customer satisfaction, but they also benefit customer service employees. Frequently asked questions and issues can often be easily solved by customers themselves. Yet, without the proper tools, customers have nowhere to turn except customer service department. This can lead to annoyance and monotonous work. You can reduce this workload and the tediousness of answering FAQs through providing customers  with an online solution to solve their own queries, such as (interactive) videos. What we’ve noticed with other clients is that the videos will give employees the opportunity to focus on more complex issues, creating a more dynamic and enjoyable workday.

#3 No option for feedback or further contact

Providing your customers with self-service options such as video is a great first step but, unfortunately, not all customers will find the answer they look for and in some cases they might be left with even more questions.

Knowing this gives you the opportunity to anticipate that this might happen. Give your customers the opportunity to follow up on their query. Ask for feedback to find out if they have received the right service. If necessary, make sure they can reach you for further commentary or questions.

For example, ask for feedback at the end of a video. The simplest way is to ask for a rating between 1 and 10. Additionally, you can ask for written feedback. This allows your viewers to share their experiences or suggestions, which will give you insight and allow you to improve your products and services. Added bonus? Not all the feedback you receive will be negative, people will also use this to share their positive feedback with you.

Besides feedback, we also advise to add an option for contact, if necessary. Especially when people provide negative feedback.

You can initiate contact in multiple ways. With an interactive video, it is easy to add a contact form to the video. Or you can choose to integrate your chat or e-mail. For example, whenever a customer gives negative feedback, the chat is automatically triggered. When using linear video, you can link to your contact page beneath the video.

3…2…1…Check

Video as a way of communicating with your customers gives some great results, such as increasing customer satisfaction and a reduced workload. Avoid the mistakes mentioned above and video will make your business more efficient. Good luck!

Curious about cases?  Or just looking for some advice? Contact us, we’re more than happy to brainstorm.