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Help serviceprovides in-app customer service for mobile-first brands, says it has received a patent for innovation in cross-platform mobile app support.
With Helpshift’s patented technology, consumers can use their mobile phone as a bridge to ensure customer service for console games, TVs, and real-world environments.
This patent is based on Help serviceAPIs for brands that can be used with console games, TV sets, or real-world objects (such as hotel kiosks, in-store items, or mailed shipments) . The Helpshift API will capture any contextual information for the customer and will generate a secure QR code and secure URL link for customer service. Keywords Studios acquired Helpshift last year.
This link is then used by the consumer using a mobile device to initiate a personalized assistance experience that maintains the original context – saving time and improving efficiency at every step of the journey. customer support.
Customer support is turning to conversational AI and automation to streamline processes, reduce wait times, and improve the efficiency of customer support agents. Customer expectations for support are also changing rapidly, with customer experience becoming a key driver of brand loyalty: 72% of shoppers expect virtual support to become more common, 65% of US customers say a positive brand experience has more impact than good advertising – and 32% of all customers will stop doing business with a brand they love after just one bad experience bad.
While conversational AI and automation have become more prominent in web chat tools and in mobile apps, the market has been lacking these improvements on game consoles. and in the physical environment. Helpshift’s patented QR Code support now brings self-service to these experiences. Users can scan a QR code and be redirected to one of three experiences (based on how the brand wants to set it up): instant self-help, automated chatbots, or even messaging with a support agent.
The company says this patent is recognition that Helpshift’s technology is opening up new possibilities for customers to receive new, immediate and personalized customer support experiences. By bridging the gap between a brand’s mobile app and a customer’s physical environment, game developers, retail and hospitality brands can open up innovative ways to customer support and interaction.
Gameloft, an international developer and publisher of games for all digital platforms, was one of the first Helpshift customers to implement this patented technology.
“This solution comes at the perfect time for us, because we are planning several console-focused releases. So far, we’ve tested it on a few ongoing projects and we’re very pleased with the results,” Anna Yangolenko, customer care R&D coordinator at Gameloft, said in a statement. “We have seen significant improvement across all of our key KPIs, CSAT being one of the biggest and most important areas of improvement. We are planning to implement this solution in all of our major games.”
Erik Ashby, Head of Product at Helpshift, said: “Helpshift now supports mobile on more than 4 billion devices, and this patent helps us continue our momentum in delivering similar tools. this to control games, TV and into the real world”. .
Helpshift says it can provide contextual support without burdening customers: If someone is playing a game and they have a problem, Helpshift allows users to use their mobile device to scan. QR code and jump directly from that part of the game to a supported experience. Just by accessing that QR code, the support team instantly knows the exact context of who the customer is, where they have been in the game, and how the support team can help.
The company also says it can get instant support via QR code: Helpshift offers the first secure QR code generator for customer support. Brands can provide their customers with relevant, instant support through a dedicated QR code without requiring customers to search for, enter, or re-enter their verification credentials. This QR code is more than just another website URL: it is context-aware, keeping customer information safe and personal details visible to the support team, providing an easy support experience.
And Helpshift says it can get answers to questions in-store or at the mailbox: What if customers want more product information while shopping in the store aisle? What if you buy a new product and have questions as soon as the package arrives? Helpshift’s patented APIs can help brands deliver a more valuable customer support experience, providing customers with relevant answers wherever they are in the real world – while also connecting with customers via their mobile devices.
The company can also reduce long lines with self-service: Retail brands can eliminate long wait times for customer service and shorten long lines at checkouts and concierge desks by providing easy self-service for customers to access via mobile device.
And in a retail environment, if a customer receives a package with a damaged or wrong-sized item, they can use their phone and scan the packing sheet to begin a secure support experience when the team support to know who they are, what items have been shipped. them and any other information automatically and securely.
Customer support is becoming a critical moment for building customer loyalty (or getting customers to attrition). With Helpshift’s patented technology, brands can provide customers with secure, contextual support that bridges the gap between mobile apps and the real world.
“People are using mobile apps to shop more every day and as an extension of their real-world experience, and at the same time,” said Eric Vermillion, CEO. they are asking for a higher level of customer support to bridge the gap between mobile and real life.” of Helpshift, in a statement. “Brands need to seize this opportunity and deliver a seamless, player-focused, mixed-world experience that engages people wherever they are, with the right support, in a way for consumers. users see that you are looking for them.”
I asked how long they had been doing this job. In an email to GamesBeat, Helpshift said development begins in 2020 with patent files and early testing in 2021.
The number of employees at the beginning of 2022 was 145 people and now the company has 152 people. Helpshift says it plans to expand its workforce in 2023.
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