Customer service is a human-to-human interaction. Clients need help, on-point instructions, and even empathy from the other side of the line. To provide great services, you need to get close to a real, actual interaction with your client. And the best way to do that? Virtual reality and augmented reality services and devices.
Even though we’re used to customer service over the internet, let’s see why VR and AR customer service is the future.
Call Centers – let’s face it, we all dread this experience. The music on hold and all the buttons you have to push to speak to an actual person. Most of the time it’s useless. But, imagine if we include AR in this equation. The users would actually see each other making the interaction more human. Also, all the necessary information is available to both parties.
Another example would be using VR in solving clients’ problems. It may be possible to give clients better customer service experience if they can see a virtual version of the representative. It would also be possible to show actual methods of troubleshooting a problem or even present business slideshows and other visual materials to make clients understand solutions better.
Another area where customer service is enhanced is finding a good contractor. Most of us are fearful when hiring one. And even if you trust the person, the result is likely different from what you requested in the first place.
Now, what if the client would use AR to see a 3D, miniature, real-time stream of the work taking place, even when away? The client could use VR to see the end result before actually doing any modifications. Well, that would be a better experience for everyone.
Those were just some examples of how AR and VR improve representative-client interaction. Yet, this applies to any kind of service, from restaurants to shopping, and everything else. And the good news? The idea is getting more and more popular, one day at a time.
What Is a VPN – Virtual Private Network?
It’s a way to connect to the Internet through an encrypted tunnel – to protect your online privacy. Also, all sensitive data is protected from anyone that isn’t supposed to see it. For this, it hides IP addresses.
Additionally, data shared through a VPN is encrypted. This means that other people using the same network won’t be able to see your personal data. Long story short, it’s all about privacy – but, there’s no such thing as being completely anonymous online.
Why Use a VPN in Customer Service?
Using a VPN means setting up a direct connection between the client’s computer and your own – but it’s virtual. All the online activity is private, no personal data leaks and everyone feels safe. It can make the client more open to sharing personal information.
It’s professional and it increases trust between the company and the customer. Plus, if files need to be shared, they can be accessed directly with the customer’s IP address.
Additionally, you can get over geo-restrictions or even some censorship. Since the IP address is invisible, now your resources are limitless. But, it’s rarely the case that this would be necessary.
Would a VPN Actually Improve Customer Service?
The VR and AR domains are quite new to the market. Even though they bring many benefits, they also bring along security and privacy concerns. Would a VPN help?
A lot of personal information is involved when immersing oneself in VR or AR. Since we’re mostly speaking about biometric data, people are concerned about their privacy.
There are a lot of vulnerabilities that can be exploited. This means that it would be quite easy to get your client’s personal data if someone put their mind to it.
But, developers are aware of these issues, and efforts are being made. For example, there’s a new private mode feature. It prevents the device from recording data from the user.
Virtual and augmented reality devices are IP-related. This means that using a private network could help keep personal data confidential.
What to Have in Mind
Of course, privacy isn’t a necessity in every type of customer service. If sensitive or personal data is not shared, setting up a VPN might be an overkill. If confidentiality is important to both you and your clients, then you can do without using a VPN. Explaining the process can take longer than troubleshooting, without having any benefits.
Also, it is an extra cost (even if not major) that you need to consider before actually jumping in on the VPN boat.
Is it worth your money? Do you need increased privacy? Is your customer service already in great shape and doesn’t need this extra improvement? Do your clients trust you with their information?
These would be a couple of questions to ask yourself before getting a VPN for your customer service.
Should You Use a VPN to Improve VR and AR Customer Service Experience?
Generally speaking, there can’t ever be too much privacy. Protecting sensitive data is a good idea for any type of customer service – especially for VR and AR customer service. They’re directly linked to the customer. Yet, there isn’t a definitive ‘yes’ answer.
It’s safe to say that a VPN is useful only if the troubleshooting is complicated and in managing clients’ personal data. But, at the end of the day, it’s a matter of how secure everyone feels to share different types of information.
Guest PostAbout the Guest Author(s)
Dan Martin
Dan shares his newfound knowledge with other Android enthusiasts on joyofandroid.com. Dan also enjoys photography and cooking steak.
