Customer support and customer success teams constantly strive to enhance the customer experience. A recent study showed that only 8% of customers described their experience as “superior,” yet 80% of the companies surveyed believed that the experience they provide is indeed superior. As businesses aim to build stronger connections with their customers, offering the option for direct video calls with agents is emerging as a game-changing differentiator.

But why should you consider integrating this into your customer experience strategy, and how can you make the most of it? Let’s explore.

Why offer direct customer booking in CX or CS?

Personalised experience

Connect face-to-face with your customers and offer them a truly personalised experience. Direct video calls bridge the gap between digital interactions and real human connection, fostering deeper relationships and enhancing customer satisfaction.

Increase loyalty and retention

Studies have shown that exceptional customer experiences are directly linked to increased loyalty and retention. By offering the convenience of scheduling video calls at their own convenience, you’re demonstrating a commitment to meeting your customers’ needs on their terms, thereby strengthening their loyalty to your brand.

Efficient issue resolution

Time is of the essence in customer support. Direct video calls enable agents to address complex issues or provide detailed assistance in a single session, eliminating the need for multiple back-and-forth exchanges. This not only saves time for both parties but also enhances efficiency and customer satisfaction, while hopefully reducing your backlogs.

Flexibility for customers

Every customer is unique, with different schedules and preferences. By allowing customers to book a time that works for them, you’re empowering them to take control of their support experience. This flexibility goes a long way in building positive relationships and fostering a sense of trust and reliability.

Popular use cases

One-on-one advice and consultations

Whether it’s financial guidance, product recommendations, or expert advice, direct video calls offer a platform for personalised consultations tailored to each customer’s needs.

Home interiors retailer, Lick, offers one-on-one colour consultations to customers, enhancing the purchasing experience.

VIP or premium service

Roll out the red carpet for your most valued customers by offering exclusive access to direct video calls with dedicated support specialists or account managers.

Luxury ecommerce store, Wolf & Badger, provide a white-glove experience for their boutique partners, giving them dedicated time with specialised agents, strengthening the relationship between the store and brands.

Customer success check-ins

For SaaS companies, proactive customer success initiatives are crucial for driving user adoption and retention. Scheduled video calls provide an opportunity for personalized check-ins, allowing you to understand your customers’ needs and offer tailored solutions.

Healthtech company, Jane App, remove friction by empowering customers to book time with their customer success managers directly at a time that suits them.

Tailored tech support

Complex technical issues often require hands-on assistance. With direct video calls, agents can troubleshoot problems in real-time, offering step-by-step guidance and ensuring a seamless resolution process.

Tech support threads can be long-winded and carry an extended resolution time. Direct video calls, utilising tools like Team Viewer, can allow issues to be resolved promptly.

Sensitive or long processes

Certain processes, require detailed discussions and personalised guidance. Direct video calls provide a secure and efficient platform for handling sensitive matters with care and confidentiality.

Many banks offer customers the chance to book financial or mortgage advice calls directly with their team.

Popular booking tools

When it comes to implementing direct customer booking for video calls, choosing the right tool is essential. Here’s a quick comparison of some popular options:

• Google Calendar: Offers basic scheduling functionality but lacks advanced features tailored for customer support.
• Calendly: A versatile scheduling tool with customisable options and seamless integrations, including round-robins and group calls.
• HubSpot: Provides robust CRM capabilities with scheduling features built-in for streamlined customer interactions. Often preferred by sales and customer success functions.
• Chili Piper: Focuses on optimising sales and customer engagement through advanced scheduling and routing capabilities.

How to schedule customer video calls in a support team

Customer calls will likely be one of many daily tasks and responsibilities carried out by your team. As a result, it’s vital that you schedule this time intelligently, ensuring balance between available and protected time.

Disparate tools and a lack of visibility leads to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for improvement. Choosing the right tool is a key part of designing the customer experience workflow:

The Surfboard solution

Surfboard WFM provides a simple, smart solution to this problem, utilising integrations and automation:

• Designated customer call time can be fairly distributed amongst the team using automated intraday scheduling rules. Bookable slots can also be scheduled at quieter times to work around other high-priority channels and tasks.
• Schedulers can choose the visibility settings of scheduled tasks when exported to Google Calendar, allowing greater control when syncing calendars with booking tools, such as Calendly. This prevents high priority tasks like live-channel time being double booked by customers.
• Booked meetings are automatically synced into the schedule offering full visibility over utilisation, coverage and daily plans.
• Teams can track time spent with customers seamlessly, through schedule analytics and time insights tools.

Combined with Surfboard’s suite of workforce management tools, including integrated forecasting, smarter shift and intraday scheduling, performance tracking, and analytics, teams can upgrade and adapt their customer experience with ease and control.

Want to know why leading support teams are powering their customer experience with Surfboard? Take a tour or book a call to learn more.