No business can afford to underestimate the value of good customer service.

Research shows that 89 percent of buyers have stopped using a specific business after experiencing bad customer care. 45 percent will also quit at the purchase-ready stage if they feel their questions have not been addressed.

Both of these figures demonstrate just how vital it is to have an airtight customer-service system in place. As it’s more expensive to attract new buyers than to keep existing ones, investing in ongoing satisfaction can actually save you money down the line.

Video is one of the most effective tools at your disposal, but not enough businesses use it to its full potential. Video is more engaging than even the finest-written text, using visuals and audio for a stimulating experience. You can also condense extensive blocks of text down to just a couple of minutes, saving time and effort on the customer’s’ part.

With that in mind, here are five ways your business can use video to improve your customer service.

Record FAQ Videos

The frequently asked questions (FAQ) section is a staple of many websites today, providing answers before customers need to ask them.

Newcomers to your site (or your entire company) are likely to visit your FAQ page for extra information, but scrolling through them can be arduous. Your goal is to convey the most useful details to visitors in the quickest, most engaging way.

Using video instead of text allows you to address various issues, using numerous techniques. For example, you may want to create a dynamic video that encapsulates your entire brand rather than providing a written history, perhaps incorporating animation and music to enhance its engagement.

You can also use videos to introduce your team, demonstrate how to use certain features on the site, and present your offices. This is a more personal approach, and makes visitors feel closer to your business.

It’s also simpler to send customers a link in response to questions via email or social media, rather than repeating the same chunk of text again and again.

Offer Live Video Chat with your Customers

Live chat may be a common feature on websites, but this usually takes the form of instant messaging. As helpful as this is, it can be a frustrating, time-consuming process: you have to wait for an operator to become available, before trying to articulate your query or complaint as best you can in words.

Live video chat is a much faster, simpler solution. Being able to see your support agent’s face to face means customers will feel more engaged and as if they’re receiving more personal treatment (rather than being just another voice on the phone). This face to face interaction also allows operators to read customers’ body language, to handle the caller with the most appropriate tone and approach.

As complex as this sounds, video can actually be added to your website or app with surprising ease – all you need is a quality SDK. Integrating live video-chat will give customers a direct link to your support agents at the touch of a button, but it’s vital to invest in a reliable service. Video chat firms like Agora.io, for example, uses 80 data centers around the world to identify the strongest connection to every location your customers could possibly be, making your video connection extra clear and stable, so there are no choppy video streams which can ruin the experience.

Use How-To Videos to Demonstrate Products

Depending on the types of products you sell, your customers may need a little help to get the most out of them. For example, if you produce tablets, your customers may appreciate a video that demonstrates the various features, enabling them to hit the ground running when they unbox it.

Likewise, how-to videos are ideal for troubleshooting common issues, such as showing how to correct faults or bypass technical problems. Not only does this give customers the answers they need in a hands-on way, it also saves them the time and effort of contacting your company for advice.

For online businesses, customers may only get to see your products when they arrive, rather than going into a store for a demonstration. How-to videos enable you to give customers a deeper insight and explore how the product will benefit them, just as a salesperson would in a shop.

Additionally, customers can rewind, pause, and re-watch videos, rather than having to follow advice or information given by phone.

Create Customer Review Testimonials

Testimonials are a key element of promoting your business on your site, but how are your customers supposed to know they’re genuine?

While any company can create fake testimonials, videos are a more authentic, convincing alternative. Ask satisfied customers to record brief videos describing how you have helped them, and add these to your site. You may even want to share snippets on social media, provided these are short (no more than 30 seconds).

Avoid hiring actors to perform testimonials, though, even if they’re reciting genuine comments. People will be able to tell, and it may make them question your integrity.

Host Live Webinars to Maximize Engagement

With webinars, your brand can interact with customers, provide information, and nurture stronger buyer-business relationships.

For example, you can record seminars exploring specific areas of your company and services, perhaps discussing behind-the-scenes details. You’ll be showing a more human, personal side of your business, and making viewers feel a part of it by effectively letting them in on a previously-secret area.

Customers will also be able to interact, asking questions and helping to direct the course of the webinar itself. Responding to these live, in real-time, demonstrates a real dedication to your customers, showing how much you value their input.

You can take this further by asking customers to suggest webinar topics, and perhaps add the recorded piece to your FAQ section for future reference.

Video has the power to help you transform your customer service and provide your buyers with the care they deserve. Investing in it today can save you money, time, and potential issues in the future – and if you do it now, you’ll stand out from your less-innovative competitors.

Have you considered how important video could be to your customer service?