During the pandemic, video calling provided an invaluable source of human contact during periods of lockdown and social distancing.
For businesses, video conferencing has helped countless organizations to operate remotely, allowing employees to collaborate while working from home.
As a result, video chat has also become increasingly prevalent in customer service.
In fact, the use of video calls for customer interactions has risen by 70% since March 2020.
It's why more and more businesses, across industries, are adding video functionality to their websites.
That being said, you might not be convinced that video calls are right for your business or customer service strategy.
Or, you might be keen to implement a video calling app but aren’t sure which provider is best for your needs.
Either way, this article will provide the answers you need. We’ll cover:
- The key benefits of a video calling app for businesses and customers
- How to choose the right video chat software: A comparison of three leading providers
- Getting started with video calls for customer support

The benefits of a video chat website app
The use of video chat for customer service comes with a myriad of advantages. It can benefit your businesses, your contact center, and your customers.
In this section, we’ll explore the key benefits of implementing a video calling app for customer interactions.
Humanized digital communication
The problem with many digital engagement channels is that they strip away the human element of customer support.
For brands that want to offer exceptional service to their customers, this can prove a roadblock to creating strong customer relations.
Video chat rectifies this issue by enabling face-to-face interactions and meaningful connections in the virtual realm.
As a result, your brand can communicate better with customers and provide a stronger sense of human connection.
This is significant because 75% of consumers prefer humanized communication when they’re engaging with a business online.
Video calls combine the convenience of digital interaction with the humanized experience that customers crave.

An enhanced customer experience
One of the best things about video calls is that they replicates the in-store experience more closely than any other means of digital communication.
With a video calling app, agents can engage visually as well as verbally. This adds a personal touch to any interaction which enhances the digital customer experience.
Providing these elevated customer experiences is crucial in today’s market. Case in point, 80% of consumers deem a brand’s experience to be as important as the products or services it provides.
Furthermore, 58% of consumers will cut ties with a business due to a negative experience or poor customer service.
By integrating video call software into your website or contact center, you can provide exceptional service and experiences that keep your customers coming back for more.

Increased customer satisfaction
By enhancing the customer experience with a video chat app option, you’ll also see an increase in customer satisfaction rates.
This is important because happy customers are more likely to become repeat customers.
In fact, statistics from Salesforce indicate that 89% of consumers are inclined to make further purchases after positive experiences with a brand.
They’re also 38% more likely to recommend your business to others and engage in social media advocacy.
Having a video chat application for your website or contact center gives your customers access to real-time, personal, face-to-face customer service - wherever they are.
This is guaranteed to make your customers feel valued and create more meaningful connections with them.

Boost conversion rates
Another great benefit of live video chat is its ability to help agents close sales.
How do we know this? Well, customer experience leaders say that video calls help them convert in almost 40% of their customer interactions, generating an average of $6.9 million to $60.8 million in new revenue.
With video chat, sales agents can actually show customers your products and make informed recommendations. They can guide customers through their digital journey, making the purchasing process a seamless experience.
There’s also an increased opportunity to upsell and to gain the knowledge required to offer sales advice that's tailored to the individual.
What’s more, video chatting can lower cart abandonment rate and decrease the chance of a mid-sale chat abandonment.

Improved efficiency
When it comes to resolving complex customer issues as efficiently as possible, nothing gets the job done like a video call.
This is because video chat overcomes the limitations seen in written communication and communication by voice alone.
It combines visual and verbal engagement so that more information can be shared and greater understanding achieved. It also facilitates greater collaboration between agent and customer, especially when used alongside tools like cobrowsing and screen sharing.
This increases the likelihood of a first contact resolution and reduces the number of digital touchpoints required.

Faster resolution times
As well as increasing the chance of a first contact resolution, video chat can also improve average resolution time.
Through a video calling app, customers can explain their issues with greater ease, clarity and speed than they would be able to do through a text-based web chat.
Agents can guide customers through the appropriate solution with the same ease.
Thus, a resolution is reached faster than it would be through other channels.

Competitive edge
If your competitors are not yet offering live video chat to their customers, you can get a step ahead of them by implementing it first.
You may even be able to acquire more customers by doing so - 27% of European consumers say they would switch to a different brand if that business offered video chat for sales and customer service.
And if your competitors are already providing video there’s even more reason for you to implement it too.
By doing so, you can ensure you stay in the game as a strong competitor.

Reduced need for brick-and-mortar locations
As we’ve touched upon, video chat software bridges the gap between face-to-face and digital interactions.
This reduces the need for in-person encounters, and thus the necessity of brick-and-mortar locations also decreases.
This is extremely beneficial, as renting and maintaining numerous physical locations can be a considerable expense.
Of course, there are some industries that will always value in-person service over digital.
But, as the pandemic has demonstrated, you can’t always guarantee that in-store service will be an option.
Video chats allows you to provide face-to-face customer support regardless of whether you have an accessible store/branch.

Website video calls are cost-effective
You may be under the impression that adding video chat support to your website or contact center is an expensive endeavor.
But this is not necessarily true.
With Talkative’s video chat solution, the installation process is both affordable and easy – no downloads or plugins required.
We also offer seamless integrations with other contact center systems and CRM solutions, including Salesforce and Mitel.
It means you can gain the benefits of improved conversion rates and greater contact center efficiency - without high overheads or painful integrations.
It’s win-win for both your contact center, and your customers.
Choosing a video chat software provider
Now that we’ve detailed the pros of video chat software, you’ve likely realized that it’s a valuable and worthy investment.
The next step is to consider which provider is right for your business and contact center.
Fortunately, we’ve provided a comparison of three solid video chat solutions below.
With this guide, you can make an informed decision and find the perfect provider for your needs.
1. Surfly
First up, let’s take a look at a leading option for financial and legal services: Surfly.
Surfly’s video chat solution is a useful collaboration tool that, like Talkative, has a great cobrowsing feature.
It’s especially suitable for B2B organizations that are looking for a video chat to help with the following tasks:
- Contractual procedures
- Onboarding clients
- Sharing documents
- Financial discussions
Surfly certainly excels in these areas, and if that's what you're looking for, they may be the right provider for you.
However, if you’re looking for a solution that’s more focussed on providing an exceptional customer experience and driving sales or conversions - you’ll want to consider other options.
2. Reve Chat
Next up is Reve Chat - another video chat provider.
Now, unlike Surfly, Reve Chat was designed for B2C organizations and customer-focussed communication.
Reve Chat’s platform is user friendly and, on the surface, it comes with similar capabilities to what we offer at Talkative.
But there are some important differences to take note of.
Firstly, the Talkative philosophy prioritizes the human connection and personalization that customers love.
Reve Chat, by contrast, appears to place more emphasis on chatbots and automation in their marketing and brand narrative.
Secondly, Talkative offers some advanced video chat features that Reve Chat doesn't have at the time of writing.
Take virtual backgrounds, multiple users on video calls, and fully customizable widgets, for example.
And finally, Talkative was built specifically for brands with a more considered buying process.
Reve chat, on the other hand, is much more suited to SMEs - meaning it might not be the right choice if you’re looking to create the best digital experiences possible.
3. Talkative
We saved the best for last: Talkative - a real-time digital customer service platform and the best option for video contact center solutions.
Video is one part of Talkative's omnichannel suite of digital contact channels designed to humanize the customer journey.
Our highly customizable video chat provides excellent video call quality, and can be effortlessly integrated with your other channels too.
This allows your customers to switch seamlessly between channels with just a few clicks.
What’s more, our solution allows your customers to connect with you, via your video app, from any of their mobile devices. This provides them with maximum convenience and flexibility.
With Talkative, you can provide exceptional customer service and boost conversions with video chat features like screen sharing and cobrowsing, virtual backgrounds, closed captions, multiparty video calls, and more.
It’s why leading brand names use Talkative to connect their website and contact center, providing their customers with a more human digital experience..
And if our word isn’t enough to convince you - take a look at our customer case sudies and testimonials.

The takeaway: Video live chat as the future of customer service
The addition of a video app comes with many benefits for both your business and your customers.
From optimizing customer service to boosting conversions and reducing costs, there's much to be gained from making video calls a part of your brand experience.
Not only that, but video chat seems to be the future for customer service and contact centers - its popularity has surged since 2020 and is set to continue on this trajectory.
A study by Webhelp has revealed that 76% of consumers will continue to use video chat in the post-pandemic world, more so than they did before.
With this in mind, it’s imperative that businesses don’t underestimate the value of video customer service - or they may get left behind.
Luckily, Talkative can help you get started.
As we’ve demonstrated, Talkative is one of the strongest contenders in the market today.
We’re also one of the most flexible solutions from our no-code chat widget builder to deep integrations with other systems like Salesforce and Mitel.
With our help, you can reinvent the video contact center and elevate your digital customer communication.
Book a demo with us today and discover how you can power premium video chat experiences with Talkative.