For the last five years, Transcom Germany has been working with a leading satellite navigation brand, offering first and second level technical assistance to drivers who buy a GPS unit. When they have trouble updating the software or other installation or usage issues, users contact our team of technical specialists at the Transcom site in Halle, Germany.
One of the most highly appreciated features of the service is assistance offered through social media, as well as the adoption of dedicated self-service solutions. The most important example of this is the production of video tutorials, or short teaching films that guide users through all stages of using the software and hardware, from the simplest procedures to the most complex operations.
The operator sends the user an email with a link to the video and provides assistance while the video tutorial on the problem in question is playing. During the contact session, the operator draws attention to the most important sections and answers any questions and doubts the customer may have. The videos can be viewed as many times as desired, from any mobile device or PC, without needing to re-contact customer service.
Transcom made the first video tutorial for this project in 2011 (view it here) and our client company has posted it on YouTube, where it has been viewed more than 60,000 times. So far thirty or so video tutorials have been made, some exclusively for assistance staff training purposes. We asked Transcom Halle Call Center Manager Hans-Rainer Michels to explain how this initiative came into being:
“A few months after the project launch, our client said that they needed to identify operating methods and tools to cut customer contact costs. Transcom proposed making simple, clear video guides, which can easily be viewed by users on their own. Our client liked the idea and particularly the spirit of collaboration and value creation that characterises the partnership with Transcom. The production of this tutorial has reduced the number of calls to the call center (and therefore cut costs), at the same time as improving users’ customer experience.“
How exactly does it work? How does a video tutorial start life? Michels continues:
“The team dedicated to the project analyses the questions most frequently asked by drivers and the issues they raise and agrees with the client which subjects to produce teaching videos on. All the tutorials are produced at our Halle site using suitable software and then submitted to the client, who provides feedback in the form of additions or changes, before it is posted online”.