Customer Service: Make a Video

Since the dawn of time, customer service has always needed improvement. If you’re not on hold, you’re busy being transferred from person to person or listening to automated recordings. When the age of the Internet came about, you were probably staring at a Frequently Asked Questions page. When the FAQ was no help, you had to resort to email, phone or a manual search for someone with a similar issue. The problem is, no matter which way you choose to seek help, you are either stuck listening to someone try to explain a solution or get drowsy reading an article about troubleshooting.  In either case, there is an easy solution for both the company and the customer: video content.

There is always going to be a common problem with every product. Sometimes the problem extends to the instruction manual not being comprehensive enough, causing a large percentage of customers to have trouble getting the product to function initially. Sometimes it may be a simple jam or a hidden switch not in the “on” position. Whatever the case may be, videos can offer not only great help, but they can alleviate a company from receiving an overwhelming amount of customer inquiries.

The first step in deciding which FAQs to use is to compile a list of the most commonly asked questions or issues. Then begin creating content with answers or solutions to these inquiries by incorporating the product into the video. Instead of explaining how to fix something, show them. A person will feel much more confident in completing a task themselves if they can visually see how to assemble or fix the product.  As a company, it’s almost certain that you have the product on hand to use in a how-to video.

The cost of such a method can be minimal compared to alternative methods. YouTube is free, most computers are equipped with a webcam, and finding an employee with extensive knowledge of your product should not be an issue. All that is left is to have this employee spend a few hours recording video content fixing or explain common complaints. The video can be edited, and text can be inserted into the video for possible explanation of words, directions, etc.

The video below is a great example of how the company Douglas Vacuum uses videos for customer service issues. It was created in response to recognizing that the phrase “vacuum won’t start” was being searched in YouTube.

This is a perfect example of a common complaint being solved using video. Doug did a great job of first troubleshooting commonly overlooked issues with the vacuum, and then pointed out a switch many of you may not be aware of. It turns out that the problem most customers were having was due to a switch that is hard to see and reach. However, some people may have had a clogged pipe. In any event, Doug walked us through all the possible causes of the vacuum not starting.

If you have ever been stuck doing your own garden work like mowing the lawn, you know how frustrating it can be when your mower doesn’t work properly. Troubleshooting can be tiresome, and having a technical support representative try to explain possible causes and solutions can get confusing. Instead of deeming the lawn mower broken, a helpful video may just do the trick. This video was done by eSparesVideo. It was the first video to be listed when typing “lawnmower won’t start” in YouTube.

These videos were not created by the actual manufacturers of the products, as the Kirby vacuum is a product sold at the Douglas Vacuum retail stores, and eSpares repairs lawnmowers but does not sell them. Nevertheless, they offer great insight into how to troubleshoot a product or fix an issue yourself. These are examples of how a company or product manufacturer can utilize video to provide help and customer support to those who need it without tying up phone lines.

This method of customer service is two-fold. First, your customers will have easy access to solutions for common issues with your product, which then can be shared easily across their personal networks. Second, your SEO will increase because video is the preferred type of content to be posted by search engines.

Something to consider when creating your videos: Make sure your videos will not cause the customer to void any product warranty. Videos should attempt to troubleshoot or fix common issues, while avoiding having to return the product for replacement or repair. Advise your customers that if the product issue remains after using the suggested troubleshooting advice in the video, a repair or replacement may be needed.