Extended Reality – the value of a modified reality

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, internet-based sales of products and services has shown unprecedented growth. According to figures from the Dutch Central Statistics Agency CBS¹⁾, retail internet turnover in the second quarter of 2020 was more than 54% higher than the year before. Online sales even increased by 68% at stores whose internet sales are a secondary activity.

^{1) CBS: Coronacrisis jaagt online winkelen aan in het tweede kwartaal}

Remote help

But a remote customer often needs a bit of extra support. For example when trying on new glasses or to see if that nice sofa fits in the living room. To take a look around the cruise ship that is booked for the summer holidays, or as a guideline when installing a new TV.

Extended Reality offers companies and organisations more and more possibilities to support their customers in this: augmented reality (AR), where simulated 3D objects are brought to the user's environment, and virtual reality (VR), where the user is in a simulated 3D environment.

Broadly speaking, the applications can be divided into three categories:

• Presales – AR and VR offer potential customers the opportunity to become familiar with a product or service, making them more likely to purchase it.
• Sales – According to research, customers spend significantly more in physical stores than online, partly due to impulse purchases. Thanks to the application of AR and VR, you give customers the option of ‘virtual e-shopping’, thus creating the real shopping feeling.
• Support – Thanks to VR and AR, it becomes much easier for the customer to start using a product or fix any ‘bugs’ themselves without the help of a written manual or a support person. Research shows that more than 70% of consumers even prefer this.

A godsend for customers and employees

These technologies are also becoming more widely applicable in the contact centre and can enormously improve the service level – and thus the customer experience. An increased First Contact Resolution (FCR), for example, because thanks to AR and VR, service employees are able to visually communicate with customers and can therefore help them much more effectively. Research²⁾ even shows a 20% increase in FCR. But also a rise in self-service, which reduces the burden on the contact centre. And what about a decrease in returns because customers are much better informed prior to their purchase?

VR and AR can also be used for training and onboarding purposes, for example as a replacement for or addition to more traditional learning methods such as computer-based or group training. This makes training more accessible, interactive and efficient.

AR and VR, therefore, bring benefits not only for the customer but also for the employee!

^{2) TechSee: Infographic: AR In Customer Service}

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