Customer experience
Anna Gorina
27 March 2024
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Co-browsing is a safe technology that allows a customer visiting a web page to share their screen in real-time with a customer service representative. Co-browsing allows the representative to follow along with the customer as they navigate the website. It is gaining popularity in a wide variety of industries, from retail to financial services. As live chat and automated chat become integrated into more websites, co-browsing will become more and more commonplace.
Cobrowsing software allows a customer to collaboratively browse with a representative who communicates with the customer by live chat, video chat, or phone call. Co-browsing means they screen share their browsing session with the representative who is assisting them. Most co-browsing software does not require any installation. Therefore, co-browsing is an effortless solution for both the customer and your company.
Co-browsing is a collaborative feature that allows two parties to scroll through, or browse, a website together and even interact with the webpage live. It provides agents with the ability to see the customer’s screen without accessing other programs on their computer or tablet. Co-browsing solutions are also secure as they conceal information fields that are sensitive.
Co-browsing software comes with built-in safety protections that ensure that sensitive information such as credit card information is encrypted. Unlike traditional screen-sharing software, co-browsing limits the sharing to a single browser window. This means that the representative has no access to the customer’s system and can only see what the customer is doing on one specific website. Some co-browsing platforms go a step further and allow customers to black out part of their screens with personal information. These protections ensure that even the most concerned customer can co-browse at ease that their data is secure.
Using a co-browsing solution is a great way to improve your customer experience. Why is that important? A good customer experience improves customer satisfaction and encourages the customer to come back for another pleasant experience. Co-browsing allows companies to offer a more personalized experience for each client because the agent better understands their needs. If a customer encounters a difficulty, the agent can intervene more quickly and prevent customer frustration. In this way, it facilitates the customer journey and builds a rapport between agents and customers.
As with any customer service, it is essential to show empathy and genuine concern for your customers’ needs and wants. Teaching empathy is crucial to improving your customer experience.
One method to do this is by using customer service training videos. Another method could be a centralized knowledge database. ViiBE can help you take this further by allowing you to access actual customer interactions to use as examples in your employee training. Beyond empathy, this can help troubleshoot any knowledge gaps your employees may face when learning to use new technology such as co-browsing.
Are co-browsing and screen sharing the same or different? Co-browsing is not synonymous with screen sharing. Screen sharing requires a download of software and allows the agent to access all of the customer’s computer. Screen sharing can be helpful for technical support applications. Still, some customers may be wary of the security risk of handing over their entire computer’s system to a support agent.
Co-browsing, on the other hand, is less intrusive and more simple to set up. It is especially ideal for e-commerce settings because the support agent can take on a similar role to a sales clerk in a traditional brick-and-mortar store.
Sales-oriented co-browsing will be more focused on orienting the customer towards a sale. The customer service agent is there to respond to the customer’s questions or concerns and inform them of any ongoing sales promotions. Customer support-oriented co-browsing will assist a customer who is having trouble navigating a company’s website. In both cases, the agent’s job is guiding customers towards a solution. This mission remains the same whether the interaction is sales-oriented or customer support-oriented.
Many of your competitors are likely already using a co-browsing solution. 59% of companies surveyed by Aberdeen Group are already using visual engagement tools such as video chat and co-browsing. The same study showed a 6.8% increase in customer retention and a 4.8% increase in per-customer profit margin for companies using these tools. If your competitors aren’t using co-browsing yet, it’s only a matter of time before they adopt this technology. In that case, you can be ahead of the curve by adopting this easy-to-integrate technology.
There are several ways that co-browsing can add value to your business. One of these is by empowering your support agents to resolve issues more quickly. Co-browsing allows support agents to handle more customers and thus improves agent productivity. Co-browsing is an essential tool in your customer service toolkit. Your employees will work more effectively when they have different options available to suit the customer’s needs. Depending on the situation, they can choose co-browsing, live chat, or video chat.
Adding a channel of communication such as video improves customer engagement. ViiBE’s video chat is a no-install functionality that integrates seamlessly with your existing contact center software. When the customer associates your brand with a smiling face, it’s the first step to building a lasting relationship. ViiBE’s video functionality will put a human face on your company and help your agents communicate empathy more clearly to the customer.
ViiBE’s ticketing system empowers an agent to access past interactions with the same customer, allowing a tailor-made experience for each customer. Finally, ViiBE’s expertise call routing makes sure your customer contacts the most qualified person for their query as soon as possible.
Customer service has come a long way from in-person interactions or call centers. Today, customer interactions often take place through contact centers which offer a variety of modes of communication. Today, it has never been easier to supercharge your customer service with new tools like co-browsing. ViiBE can complement co-browsing with its video feature and its access to past interactions through its knowledge base.
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