As technological advances accelerate new modes of customer service, companies of all sizes still have to take into account the irreplaceability of a good interaction. And it’s not only the customers that companies need to worry about — solutions that empower agents to do the best job possible have a long-lasting beneficial impact that’s hard to measure.

So what is it about live video support that ignites such a positive response in customers and agents alike?

One part psychology and one part comprehension, video support brings problems out into the light and creates a space for making authentic, brand-building connections— effortless.

Video is human-centric

When customers feel they need to re-word their problem several times on a service call, stress levels are quick to rise on both sides of the conversation and with no clear resolution—both sides end up feeling misunderstood.

But think how using live video support could make customers feel seen in more ways than one. It makes for a personalized touch to let customers know that they’re important enough to interact with one-on-one in a way pop-up chats and traditional phone calls just don’t.

Brand loyalty has been connected to great customer service. The experience can feel a lot like love, which translates to a big word of mouth payoff once your customers share the experience with their friends and colleagues. Think how many times have you heard someone say they “love” a certain brand while talking about their customer experience.

Good CX can be euphoric compared to the clunky interactions customers are used to.

Our brains are visually wired

Video support not only provides the sense of connection that translates to customers feeling seen. It also offers tons of practical shortcuts for agents, such as screenshotting a warranty number or demoing a solution. Things get done in a fast and no-nonsense way while engaging and delighting customers in the process.

One phenomenon that helps, is the presence of mirror neurons. These are the neurons that fire when we watch someone else act something out or hear an especially evocative word — why great dancing is riveting to observe and why authentic smiles are contagious.

Our brains actually ‘light up’ as if we’re the ones experiencing what we’re taking in. If an agent can explain how to solve a problem to a customer while sharing one view, the issue will get resolved faster and the experience will be more enjoyable for both parties. But it also provides an emotional and sense-based experience customers are unlikely to forget.

It makes agents happier, too

Being a customer support agent often involves trying to bridge a divide with inadequate tools to do so. Agents want better methods and greater freedom to deliver customer service. They’ve been trained to solve problems, and take pride in being experts. Unhappy customers tend to shoot the messenger without realizing how much agents are actually on their side scrambling to get a better understanding of what’s going on. So when morale is low within a customer support interaction, agents feel helpless — especially when they’re required to stick to a script or they can’t see what the problem looks like.

It might seem counterintuitive that more technology can actually create a space for more humanity, but live video interactions do just that. Inspiring joy with your customer support experiences isn’t as impossible as it sounds, but companies do need to throw out their expired practices and embrace a new way of thinking. Live video support makes way for human connection as well as real, actionable insight in an instant.