“Can you describe which light is flashing on the device?” Every service team knows this question. What follows is several minutes of guesswork – and sometimes a technician visit that turns out to be unnecessary once someone is on site. Yet almost every customer carries a camera in their pocket. Video support – from a quick video call to a scheduled video consultation – can resolve such cases in a few minutes. But it is not a channel for everything. This article shows where video genuinely helps in SME customer service, how to organise it and how to measure whether it pays off.
The camera is already there – and so is the habit
Video calls are part of everyday life. According to the statistical office of the German state of Thuringia, around two thirds of people aged 16 to 74 there made calls over the internet in 2024, for example video calls (microcensus, press release of 28 October 2025). As early as 2022, a survey by the German digital association Bitkom found that 19 per cent of holidaymakers would prefer to reach travel providers by video call – among 16- to 29-year-olds the figure was 26 per cent. In the same year, 18 per cent of Germans had already used a video consultation with their doctor, up from 5 per cent in 2019.
The figures show two things: for most people, the technology is no longer an obstacle. And video is accepted as an addition, not as a replacement. That matches the role video sensibly plays in customer service: a tool used deliberately for specific requests.
Where video resolves a request faster
Video pays off wherever describing takes longer than showing. Typical use cases in SMEs:
- Installation and setup: the customer points the camera at connectors or components, and the agent immediately sees where the problem lies.
- Fault diagnosis: displays, error codes, noises or leaks are easier to assess on screen than over the phone. It often becomes clear whether a technician really needs to come out – and which spare part to bring.
- Damage and complaints: transport damage or defects can be inspected and documented together instead of sending photos back and forth by e-mail.
- Software and portals: here, screen sharing takes the place of the camera. Seeing what customers see on their screen saves long click-by-click instructions.
- Pre-sales advice: for products that need explaining, a video appointment feels more personal than a phone call and takes less time than an on-site visit.
Video is less suitable for simple information, status queries or requests that can be handled through self-service, chat or e-mail.
Spontaneous or scheduled: two operating modes
Two approaches have proven themselves in practice. With a spontaneous switch, the agent notices during a call or chat that a picture would help and sends the customer a link by text message, e-mail or messenger. One click opens the video connection in the browser. This is ideal for faults and installation questions.
With a scheduled video consultation, the customer books an appointment, for example through an online calendar, and receives the link and instructions in advance. This suits advisory conversations and cases where a specialist needs to be involved. In both cases, video should only be offered by staff who are trained for it and have the product knowledge required. Assigning requests to these people belongs in your routing rules – not in the hope that the right person happens to be free.
Technology and data protection: low barriers, clear rules
The most important technical requirement is no app installation. Every extra hurdle – download, registration, password – costs acceptance, especially among older customers. Browser-based solutions built on WebRTC work on common smartphones and computers without installing anything.
On data protection: under the GDPR, video images are personal data, and the camera often shows more than the device – living spaces, family members, documents. Clarify the following in advance:
- Customers are informed before the session starts and actively agree to the video connection; they can switch off the camera at any time.
- Video is not recorded by default. If a still image is needed for documentation, for example of damage, this is stated explicitly.
- The provider processes data in the EU, a data processing agreement is in place and the connection is encrypted.
- Agents work against a neutral background and know how to react if bystanders or sensitive documents appear on screen.
Integrate video into the case – and measure it
A video appointment that runs alongside the rest of your service creates new gaps: the colleague who takes the next call knows nothing about the diagnosis, and the technician has never seen the damage. What matters is that the booking, the outcome and the next steps end up in the same case as calls, chats and e-mails. In an omnichannel platform such as myContactCenter by ilogixx, the video contact belongs in the ticket for the request – with a note, a still image where needed and the agreed next step.
A few metrics are enough to judge whether video is worthwhile:
- Resolution rate in video contacts: how many requests are closed after the video call?
- On-site visits avoided: how often is a technician visit no longer needed, or successful first time with the right spare part?
- Duration and take-up: how long do video contacts last, and how many customers accept the offer?
Start with one clearly defined use case and a small group of trained agents. After eight to twelve weeks, the figures will show whether the channel should be expanded.
Conclusion: show, don’t describe
Video support is not a channel every service team needs across the board. For installation, fault diagnosis, complaints and advice on products that need explaining, however, it can significantly reduce follow-up questions, repeat contacts and unnecessary call-outs. The prerequisites are low technical barriers, clear data protection rules and integration into the same case that holds every other contact about the request.
Would you like to find out which of your requests are suited to video and how this fits into your processes with myContactCenter? Book a consultation through our online calendar at ilogixx.de.
