The demand for real-time communications is real and growing as users are becoming accustomed to the capabilities they have access to on smartphones. We want the same capabilities from our PCs or laptops, launching video conferencing sessions or simply chatting without downloading applications that take time to implement and learn.
Something better is already available in WebRTC, a movement in open-source sharing that removes the need to download plugins and applications to support real-time communications. Already adopted by Firefox and Google Chrome, it’s slated to be the next big thing in enhancing the user experience.
The biggest challenge to adoption right now is that the user doesn’t know yet what they could demand. A lack of knowledge outside of the enterprise creates a gap in demand and supply as far as the user is concerned. Fortunately, that is changing thanks to the work of the WebRTC Conference & Expo.
Several pioneers in this space turned out for the most recent event in Santa Clara, sharing the innovations they bring to the table and how it will impact the industry and the user. Questionmine was one such company. Not specifically a WebRTC company, Questionmine offers a complimentary product known as video branching, or video IVR.
Questionmine brought this solution to the conference to demo for the crowd. Imagine the IVR experience – yes, the one where you press 1, 2, 3 or 4 to get to a desired call destination – with recorded video instead of just voice. The solution will direct the path of the video content and reduce the cost for customer support teams, sales teams and any other division of the company that wants to optimize the interaction experience.
One of the advantages to this solution is the ability to add a lead capture form for sales or marketing. This way, if users are connected with the contact center, the agent knows something about them and what they may be looking for from the company. Plus, users’ names and emails are shared with the company for additional information and follow-up opportunities in the future.
When the video call goes live, the system already knows the customer’s name and can immediately launch into a personalized interaction. The video can ask questions of the individual and based on the answers provided, the next question helps to drill down to a solution that satisfies the customer. If the problem can’t be solved with video, a face-to-face communication over WebRTC is the logical next step. All the data captured goes to the agent or sales person to pick up the conversation where the video ended.
The main idea is to create a seamless experience for the customer, while reducing the cost of customer support for the company. At the same time, the company can capture significant data from this one interaction, data that can be used extensively for the development of solutions and services that shore up the revenue strategy. Plus, Questionmine designed the solution to be easy to set up so individual groups or departments are more likely to use it.
This ease of use is the primary benefit to WebRTC, eliminating many of the boundaries that exist for real-time communications.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
