January 20, 2022

The True Cost and Value of Remote AR Assistance in 2022

Rama Sreenivasan · 4 minute read

Are your customer support methods outdated? If you’re not exploring remote AR assistance, you may be falling behind. AR might sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but it’s becoming increasingly popular in business and retail spaces. Offering augmented reality CX tools isn’t cutting edge anymore—it’s expected.

Over 83 million consumers interact with AR at least once per month. Chances are, your customers have already used AR with another business in the past thirty days. AR is being used to allow customers to see how furniture will look in their living room before the hit “purchase” or to scan items in-store and see additional details about the product. But of course, these are only a few applications for AR: A key use for AR is in remote support efforts.

Maybe you already see the value in augmented reality for customer support… but one question remains: What is the true cost of remote AR assistance in 2022?

Let’s lay out the facts: How much will remote AR assistance cost your organization, and how much value can you expect to receive in return?

Defining Modern Remote AR Assistance

Remote assistance has come a long way in recent years. Let’s start by outlining what remote AR assistance looks like in 2022. AR stands for Augmented Reality. Incorporating advanced AR technology into customer support tools allows your support team to walk your customers through moderately complex issue resolution by displaying text, pointers, and other visuals on their camera viewfinder.

Using AI & AR remote customer support can enhance your customer experience… but how much does it cost, and what value can it provide in return?

At Blitzz, customer experience is our number one priority—both for our customers and their customers. As a result, we consistently put in the effort to remain at the forefront of remote AR assistance. Check out our free demo to explore the Blitzz tool today, and read on to learn more about the costs and benefits of incorporating remote AR assistance into your customer support line.

Cost of Remote AR Assistance

There is no such thing as a free lunch… or free software implementation. Starting a remote AR assistance program has a few associated costs. Let’s examine the two main categories of those costs: Software and staff training.

Software

To offer exceptional remote AR assistance, you’ll need to invest in the right tool. Top remote AR assistance tools like Blitzz cost between $30-$60 per month per user license. Depending on your selected provider and your desired feature set, your price will vary.

For example, Blitzz offers two package options, Professional and Enterprise. Both packages include AR features like a collaborative pointer, real-time mark-up, text extract, and more. However, the Enterprise package offers more robust features like advanced reporting and analytics, customized branding in your Blitzz environment, and more.

In short, the cost of your remote AR assistance tool will depend heavily on the features your team needs to succeed.

Training

The other expense associated with implementing remote AR assistance is the time and resources you’ll need to train your team in this new technology. Your team may experience a ramp-up period when switching tools which can cause a temporary lapse in productivity and efficiency.

How much will this cost in terms of time and resources? The answer here is: It depends. Choosing a complex tool will take your staff longer to learn their way around than if you select a more user-friendly tool like Blitzz.

Additionally, you may want to explore tools that offer free test drives of the software before you purchase. This test drive will give you an idea of how complex the software you’re considering is before committing to the solution. You can also involve your staff in the test drive to give your team a head start on training and familiarize them with the new system.

Value in Remote AR Assistance

Your remote AR assistance efforts will have more than costs—when done right, they’ll provide your business with a great deal of value. You’ll see this value in three main areas, which we’ll explore here: Customer experience, cost savings, and support efficiency.

Customer Experience

Customer support is all about the customer. If you’re looking for a customer experience tool to dramatically increase retention, remote AR assistance is the way to go.

Remote AR assistance is popular with customers because it is convenient and accessible. Instead of calling a support line and getting stuck on hold or scheduling an on-site visit and waiting for a technician to arrive, your customer can get sophisticated and easy-to-understand help right from their mobile device.

AR features like collaborative pointers and on-screen mark-up allow your support agents to communicate solutions clearly and effectively. Since your customer won’t need to schedule an appointment or try to wrestle through a fix with audio-only instructions over the phone, a switch to remote AR assistance can increase your performance on KPIs like first-call resolution.

“We have been able to resolve some of the customer configuration or set up issues, and demonstrate to the customer how to use their products, all without having to send their devices in for a repeat repair.”

-Capterra Reviewer

Savings

We talked about costs in the first few sections of this post. The good news when it comes to remote AR assistance is that the cost savings this solution offers will more than offset the monthly cost of the software itself.

Embracing remote AR assistance will allow you to solve more customer issues remotely, sending fewer technicians on-site. Reducing truck rolls will save your organization money in vehicle maintenance and fuel. Additionally, cutting out commute times will save you on hourly costs for your technicians.

We were curious about just how much our customers were saving by using Blitzz for remote support. Our surveys discovered that 20 support agents saved over $15,000 in their first month with Blitzz by increasing efficiency and reducing truck rolls.

Support Efficiency

Cutting out commutes will save you more than just fuel money and hourly pay—it saves your technicians time. Instead of wasting twenty minutes to an hour stuck in traffic between appointments, technicians can jump from call to call with ease when you use remote AR assistance.

AR features make it simple for your support agents to assist customers remotely. Remote AR assistance is not just an acceptable stand-in for on-site service; it’s faster. Your technicians can solve customer issues 10x faster with remote support.

You can maximize the efficiency of your remote AR assistance efforts by using a user-friendly tool with a simple interface. Selecting a simple-to-use tool will benefit your support agents and your customers by removing unnecessary technological barriers like app downloads and complicated menus from the remote support experience.

Experience the Benefits of Remote AR Assistance

Like any software implementation, remote AR assistance will require a bit of upfront investment in software licensing and staff training. However, the value your organization will gain from implementing remote AR assistance will far outweigh those initial costs, both in terms of dollar value and customer satisfaction.

To get the maximum benefit from your remote AR assistance efforts, you’ll need to ensure you choose the right tool. Blitzz offers all the features your remote support and field service teams need with a simple-to-use interface your customers will love. See the power of Blitzz for yourself by requesting a free demo today!

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