How to Video Chat Live With Your Customers Using Podium in 2020

Let's face it: in a world where we're apart, recreating a face-to-face experience matters. It's a way of taking a faceless customer service experience and making it more human. Using video chat with customers is the best way to keep contact personal.

In this article, we're going to show you why you can't miss out on using live video support with Podium. It's an all in one, messaging, SMS marketing, and video chat customer service platform.

What Is Podium (And Why Should You Choose It For Videochat?)

If you're thinking of adding video chat with customers as one of your service options, you're probably looking for tools that make it easier. After all, even though apps like Zoom and Skype are popular for video chat, they're cumbersome to use to work with customers.

Enter Podium. You might already know it as a tool to do SMS marketing, but it works best when you use it as the hub of your marketing and customer service efforts. Podium chat helps you connect with customers in real-time.

Podium is best-known as an SMS marketing tool, but don't miss out on all the features it offers in one convenient app:

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  Automated SMS marketing. Send your customers targeted sales offers, requests for reviews, and so much more on an automated schedule.


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  Podium chat. While browsing your site, customers can easily launch chats with your rep to quickly address any questions or concerns, leading to more sales.
  
  


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  Accept payments. Remove the friction of collecting payments in the sales funnel by easily pivoting from text message to payment link.
  
  


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  Video chat with customers. We'll focus on the power of this tool in the article. Jump from a customer question directly to Podium videochat on a secure link.

When you choose Podium, you make it the command center of your customer service experience. Instead of cobbling together many tools that each handle a separate part of the customer service experience, Podium is everything you need to connect with customers at all stages of the sales funnel.

We'll focus on video call customer service with Podium in this article. Learn more about the advantages of texting and how to use them to your advantage with the help of Podium here:

• 
  Sales
  
  
  How to Get Quick Customer Feedback With Business Text Messages in 2020
  
  
  Brenda Barron

Why Should You Use Video Chat With Customers?

If you're starting to think about using video chat customer service, you might be asking yourself why. Adding this new type of live video support requires a commitment, so it's important to consider the benefits.

As you're planning a customer service strategy, remember this: every customer has different preferences. Some will only correspond via email. Others will want a phone call, online Podium chat, or face-to-face experience. But if you don't offer some forms of support, you're going to lose business.

Videochat doesn't exist in isolation. Maybe your customers use it to ask a question while they're evaluating their options. Or maybe they want to use it to share feedback about a recent experience with your business. 

Imagine using live video support for each of these purposes:

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  Answer a pre-purchase question. Maybe a simple question is all that it takes to close a sale. Video chat customer service helps your business grow by hosting a quick discussion, generating more revenue in the long run.


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  Resolve a customer service issue. Text messaging and emails sometimes can get a bit heated due to the lack of the personal element. Start a quick video customer support session to remind customers of the personal element in your business.
  
  


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  Provide in-home support. Some products might need a bit of troubleshooting or post-sale support to perform at peak. Use this video chat customer support option so that they get the most out of their product. Walk customers through without leaving your business thanks to high-quality video calls.

That's why it's best to use a tool like Podium for video chat with customers. Since you're already corresponding with them through a platform like SMS marketing or web chat, it's easy to simply send a link and start video chatting in real-time. Let's learn how. 

How to Video Chat With Customers on Podium

You already know the power of Podium chat tools. They’re the perfect way to really engage and connect with your customers. Now it’s time for a look at how to video chat with customers using Podium:

1. Sign Up for Podium

Want to start offering live video support to your customers? Ready to follow along with our tutorial? Jump over to Podium's website today. You can sign up for the platform for free and begin the process of adding video chat customer service.

Podium is a powerful platform. Although best known for its SMS messaging options, it actually offers a full suite of chat tools, like Podium chat for web. Adding video Podium live chat lets you build personal connections with your customers. Think of Podium as the home base for your customer engagement efforts.

Remember, Podium is a tool to help your business succeed. Text messages and chats are free features inside to help you start conversations. But video call customer service with Podium takes your efforts to the next level. Face-to-face interaction is still valuable, and Podium Videochat helps you replicate the experience.

Podium’s video customer support offering is packed with powerful features. It seamlessly integrates with existing conversations in the Podium portal. Share from your webcam, or use handy screen-share options for slides, documents, and more. 

Plus, Podium incorporates robust security measures that are fully HIPAA compliant. This lets you speak privately and confidentially with complete confidence.

Still weighing what tool to use? Check out our full list of tools:

• 
  Marketing
  
  
  20 Best Business SMS Text Messaging Software & Apps for 2020
  
  
  Andrew Childress

2. Have Videochat Added to Podium

Video Podium chat is an optional feature that you can add to your account. Unlike Podium live chat, it’s not automatically built-in. Luckily, it’s very easy to add and only takes a few quick steps. 

To get started, visit the Podium Videochat home page. There, you’ll see an overview of the key features the tool offers. It’s a great resource to help you see the incredible value Videochat provides.

Ready to join? Go ahead and enter in contact details, then choose Watch Demo. A Podium customer support representative will soon be in touch to help you get up and running. In no time, your business can offer video call customer service.

Before you do video call customer service, it’s a good idea to check the audio and video settings on your computer. Having poor audio quality or a blurry webcam image is no way to impress your customers. These checks are quick, but they pay dividends.

3. Send an Introductory Message

A good rule of thumb is to never just send out a random invite to video chat with customers. Typically, customers don’t want to be surprised by things like video. It helps to send a message to offer video as a support option. Use a simple Podium chat SMS to gauge their interest in video.

Remember, Podium is an-in-one SMS marketing platform. Send a message to warm the customer up to the idea of a video chat and find a common time that works. Inside your SMS conversation, you can offer an invitation to live video support. The main idea is to let customers drive the conversation. 

Clients should agree to and be expecting any video chat invites. This ensures you make a good impression and never take them by surprise with an untimely video call customer service link.

Sending a marketing message before a video chat invitation is the best option. Customers can fit calls into their schedules and arrange for great video backgrounds. Plus, they’ll have plenty of time to gather their thoughts. 

4. Add Video Chat to the Conversation

Podium makes it amazingly easy to add video chat customer support to a conversation.  Start off inside any conversation thread inside Podium. Then, click on the + icon at the bottom of the window.

You’ll see the Add to your message menu appear. To launch Podium Videochat, you’re going to want the last option listed. Click Video Chat Invitation to set up everything you need for video customer support.

The Video Call Invitation box will pop up on your screen. Here, you’ll have the option to customize a quick message to your customer. Go ahead and input one (or keep the default message). Then, click Next. 

Now, your customized invite is in the Enter Message box at the bottom of your conversation. Click Send. That’s all it takes to invite clients to join video chat customer support.

5. Wait for Customers to Join

Your customer will receive your video customer support invite in their SMS inbox. All they've got to do is click the link to join the call. When they do, you’ll see a Customer is waiting notification in the Podium conversation thread. 

Need to delay your video chat customer support session for a moment? You can always send a quick follow-up text to let people know that you’re on your way. 

This level of rapid, direct engagement proves the value of business text messaging. Check out a full list of advantages of marketing with SMS here:

• 
  Marketing
  
  
  5 Text Messaging Advantages: Why Your Business Should Use SMS in 2020
  
  
  Andrew Childress

6. Join the Video Call

Ready to join the conversation? Click the link inside the Customer is waiting box. In the popup window, click on Join.

You’ll see your webcam activate, and the call’s participants will appear on camera. That’s all it takes: in seconds, you’ve started video Podium Videochat. It’s a winning way to communicate with customers.

The buttons at the bottom of the call screen offer you full control. You can mute audio, share content, stop sharing video, and leave the call. Use the video support feature to support your customers and ultimately grow your business.

Start Using Live Video Support Today (With Help From Podium)

How do you keep your conversations personal, even from a distance? If that's your key question, then video chat with customers on Podium. It's part of an easy-to-use SMS marketing suite that makes it easy to transition to video chat. Whether you use video chat customer support before or after a sale, this powerful feature adds personalization.

Jump to Podium's Videochat page to start working with it. You can quickly add it to your account, start using video customer support, and connect with customers.