What is a Video Banking Service?
Video is one of the newest ways for financial services institutions and their staff to improve customer or member engagement and increase revenue. So new, in fact, that Vidyo’s 2018 Banking Survey results show that fewer than 20% of financial institutions offer a fully operational video banking service. But the survey also shows that a much higher adoption rate is expected, with more than 80% of financial institutions planning to deploy video in the future.
If your organization wants to boost customer satisfaction and revenue using video banking services, you should know this: The successful deployment of a video-based system into the workflow of any organization is contingent on the staff who will use the technology.
Many of your staff are accustomed to connecting with customers by text or phone. They’re used to the technical separation between them and the customer. But staff members who have traditionally connected with customers in person are used to a very personal experience and may see video as a barrier between them and their customer. Successful implementation of a video channel requires your staff’s buy-in and behavioral change.
To help get that buy-in, consider these five practical guidelines from Vidyo’s product adoption group, our team that enables your institution to achieve success and a faster return on investment by educating your management and staff on best practices for the video banking service.
#1: Have a vision and mission for the video technology
“Enabling staff adoption starts from the top of your organization,” said Maggie Winters, director of product adoption at Vidyo. “We believe that your first step toward adoption is having a vision and a mission for introducing the video channel. This must be communicated early and clearly to your staff.”
The next step is translating that vision and mission into meaning for each staff member. For instance, maybe you’re introducing the video banking service to the sales team. Or perhaps you’re introducing the service to the member services team to help them prevent issue escalation. One credit union introduced the video channel to provide expert advice with a more personal touch to members in the branches. The sales team was part of the initial pilot, and its mission was to leverage the face-to-face interaction to drive sales and to increase first call resolution and member satisfaction.
#2: The technology must be simple to use and integrated into the workflow
This is a hurdle organizations experience when introducing any type of new technology into their processes: busy staff members adapt slowly to change. “If the new tool is not simple, or not integrated into existing workflows, creating change and driving adoption is challenging,” Winters said. One credit union chose Vidyo because Vidyo’s solution integrated directly into the institution’s existing workflow with little burden on the credit union’s teams. Not only that, Vidyo’s flexibility allows the solution to scale beyond the branch with no additional training. This will allow the credit union to serve members where and when the members need the expertise and expand the institution’s reach into the community.
#3: Create a successful environment for the video banking service
Most call centers are configured to support audio and text chat with high-density, low-walled cubicles. The right visual configuration might require anything from adjusting cubicles to adding branded backdrops. Creating a brand-appropriate experience should be part of any implementation. With one credit union client, this was as simple as adjusting the desk position and setting up the camera correctly. A large change is not always required; sometimes the simplest adjustment can make a huge difference.
#4: Get your staff comfortable using the technology
As staff members begin to take ownership of the video banking service, Winters encourages formal and informal role-play or practice sessions to ensure that they are comfortable in front of the camera and with the technology’s functionality. During formal training, Vidyo’s product adoption team covers how to use the tool and the etiquette needed to make the experience enjoyable for the customer. Organization-specific, experience-based learning is critical to creating engagement with the content. It can even be helpful to bring humor to the table and show what not to do. This can help the information stick long-term.
For one of our credit union’s sales team, learning to be comfortable on video was key. Video communication was new and it was very important to management that their teams were happy and comfortable with video. The education program allowed the sales agents plenty of time to practice and get comfortable with the tool in their own environment. This allowed them to master the tool and gave them the soft skills needed to leverage body language and facial expressions to create a delightful experience for members. By program’s end, the sales agents felt comfortable and were having fun connecting with members via the new service.
#5: Create awareness for video throughout your organization
This is critical because, Winters said, “while we often start with a single line of business, general acceptance of the video channel will allow the program to grow within your organization. The key to ensuring this is a robust communication plan. As part of the plan, it’s important to share success stories and business results.” She added, “With one financial services client, we started with a small service line, but the wonderful thing was that the initiative had a high level of support from the organization as a whole, from executive leadership on down. This was critical to the success of the program.”
Vidyo worked closely with this client through a methodical plan. This allowed for a smooth transition, ensuring that both agents and members were comfortable with and excited to use the tool. This resulted in outstanding member interactions and achieved an average of 4.93 out of 5 stars for the experience from members surveyed.
