Consumers Welcome Convenience of Video Calling to Talk to Brands and Businesses, While 24% Would Consider Switching Banks to a Provider That Offered Video Calling

Brands and businesses are increasingly integrating Video Calling functionality into their applications to help improve customer service, reduce costs, and acquire new customers – finds new research released recently by Sinch, part of global CPaaS provider CLX Communications AB.

Sinch’s Video Calling Survey, conducted in late 2017 in partnership with One Poll, canvassed 1,250 enterprises and 5,000 consumers across the UK, France, Germany, Australia and North America. The purpose of the survey was to shed light on both enterprise and consumer experiences and perceptions of the use of Video Calling.

The survey found that 24% of businesses now use Video Calling often to engage with their customers, while 21% expect to launch services within the next two years. The key benefits driving this uptake include improved customer experience (72%), being more approachable as a business (70%), reducing costs (51%), and easy in-app integration (34%).

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The majority of person-to-person video calls currently happen through third-party social media and messaging applications like Skype, Messenger and WhatsApp etc. especially on mobile phones. To capitalize on this user behavior, 38% of brands and businesses have already integrated video calling within their own mobile applications, while a further 46% are currently considering it.

The appeal of consumer to enterprise Video Calling is growing, with 39% of consumers surveyed now ready to have video calls with brands and businesses. In fact, in sectors such as banking, 24% of consumers said they would consider switching banks to a provider that offered Video Calling.

However, with only 24% of respondents able to name a brand or business currently offering Video Calling, a huge opportunity exists for enterprises to gain early adopter advantage through the integration of Video Calling within their existing customer service channels.

The survey also examines where growth areas are likely to be, both geographically and demographically – drawing conclusions on which industries could benefit from Video Calling, and what the future looks like.

Daniel Forsman, Chief Operating Officer at Sinch, commented: “The research provides a fascinating insight into how technology innovation, especially in the customer service space, has become a key differentiator for both enterprises and consumers. Consumers now expect to be able to engage with the brands and businesses in their lives whenever, and however, they like, with Video Calling becoming an increasingly important channel across multiple sectors from retail to financial.”

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