Ever miss the feeling of being in the office without leaving your home? 🏠 Are you tired of the same old boring meetings? 😴 Do you want to find a way to connect with your team and boost productivity? 📈 

Then you need to try Zoom Huddles! 🚀

Zoom Huddles are small, informal video meetings that can be used for a variety of purposes. 🗣️

They are a great way to:

• **Brainstorm ideas and generate new solutions.**💡
• Resolve problems and make decisions quickly. 🔨
• Check in with team members and make sure everyone is on track. ✅
• Share knowledge and expertise. 🎓
• Provide customer support. 🦸‍♀️

Why should you use Huddles over Meetings? 🤔❓
Zoom Huddles replicate the 'working alongside' aspect of an open office, allowing you to seamlessly transition between meetings and conversations without losing your virtual workspace.

Will Huddles replace Zoom Meetings?

No. Zoom Huddles seamlessly integrate into Zoom's existing suite of tools, offering a distinct virtual coworking space for spontaneous collaboration and fostering a sense of camaraderie among distributed teams.

What are the different views in Huddles?

Zoom Huddles offer two viewing options: expanded view for active participation and minimized view for passive monitoring.

Here are some additional benefits of using Zoom Huddles:

• They are a great way to build relationships with colleagues. 💯
• They can help you to brainstorm ideas and get quick feedback. 🧠
• They can help you to check in with team members and make sure everyone is on the same page. 👥
• They are a great way to get quick answers to questions. ❗
• They are a great way to share updates and information with team members. 📢

Try Zoom Huddles today and see how they can transform your team! 🏆

Enable Zoom Huddles for Your Account

TLDR Version of this Post in YT

This week I had an extremely interesting strategic conversation with an Association Management firm that stood out to me. Apart from their own account, they are also managing 34 individual Zoom accounts. With this work setup, their team heavily relies on the Zoom Team Chat.  Zoom Team Chat allows both free and paid users to streamline communications between team members and external Zoom users with instant messaging integrated to the Zoom platform. For them, this is a one-stop shop because it helps them keep their distributed teams informed and company culture alive. 

During the session, some of the benefits mentioned were: it’s easy to manage and deploy, improved time-to-employee effectiveness which empowers their staff and offers advanced features and functionality that save time and enhance collaboration.

Also, some of the key features that they’re fond of are the Meet with Video, Zoom Phone Call (for their ad hoc meetings) and Schedule Meeting buttons. Since they are happy with these accessible features, I shared a recently added button which is the Share screen in chat which allows users to click the new Screen Share button to share their screen with another chat user which made them very excited to try.

They’re also leveraging another new feature which is the Continuous Meeting Chat. This allows meeting participants to communicate before, during, and after a meeting by creating a dedicated group chat in Zoom Team Chat for all meeting participants. I also told them that the ability to Schedule a Message is now part of the Team Chat roadmap and they’re really looking forward to utilizing it. Since they are working with various accounts, this upcoming functionality will allow them to schedule a chat to be sent at a later time, to better align with a team member’s time zone, working hours, and OOO plans.

These helpful items really confirmed that Zoom Team Chat is adding value to their subscription and is continuously evolving to meet various customer use cases. It’s definitely not only for instant messaging but a lot more! Truly with Zoom, productivity knows no bounds. Your days will be filled with seamless collaboration, intelligent insights, and boundless opportunities for growth.

Are you using the Zoom Team Chat today? If so, how and what are your favorite features? Join the fun by adding comments and posting your questions below!

Additional Resources:

Getting started with Zoom Team Chat

Maximize Collaboration and Cost Savings with Zoom Team Chat

Zoom Team Chat comparison by platform

How does Zoom Team Chat stack up against Slack and Microsoft Teams?

Using the Team Chat Migration app (Slack Migration tool)

Just in case you've been out of the loop the past few months, Zoom IQ is now "Zoom AI Companion".

I've been in a few conversations with customers recently asking about it. I wanted to share the common objections I usually get.  Note that the following inquiries may or may not be in verbatim. 😁

So Is Zoom AI Companion Skynet in disguise?

Nope. it's a generative AI digital assistant that helps users and their teams do more. Zoom AI Companion is designed to seamlessly integrate with your Zoom experience, offering a range of capabilities that can help you work smarter, not harder. (Props to you if you got the reference 😎)

So it has a new name. Big whoop. It must have the same features as the old Zoom IQ.

Not exactly. Here's a list of what it CAN do:

• Meeting summaries: Zoom AI Companion can generate summaries of your Zoom meetings, even if you didn't record them. This can help you save time and stay on top of what was discussed.
• Chat thread summaries: Zoom AI Companion can also summarize chat threads, so you can quickly catch up on long discussions in chat while you were focused elsewhere.
• Real-time transcription: Zoom AI Companion can provide real-time transcription of your Zoom meetings, which can be helpful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or for people who want to follow along with the meeting without having to look at the screen.
• Translation: Zoom AI Companion can translate your Zoom meetings into over 30 languages in real time. This can help you communicate with people from all over the world.
• Brainstorming: Zoom AI Companion can help you brainstorm new ideas by generating text, code, scripts, musical pieces, email, letters, etc. It can also help you to improve your creative writing skills.
• Coaching: Zoom AI Companion can provide you with feedback on your communication and presentation skills in Zoom meetings. This can help you to improve your public speaking skills and become a more effective communicator.

If it's AI then it MUST cost something!

Wrong again! It will be included at no additional cost with paid Zoom user accounts. Because here at Zoom, our goal is to deliver happiness. 

Ooh... So how do I go about activating it?

If your role is Member in your account, you can summon your Account Owner or Admin and share this link on how to Get Started With Zoom AI Companion 

We're really cautious on how Zoom handles our data. (Asking for peace of mind)

We totally understand. Please check this article about How Zoom AI Features Handle Your Data

Try Zoom AI Companion today and see the difference it can make for your work. We encourage you to connect with your Account Executive if you want to discuss your current licensing plans.

I am a volunteer English tutor working with adult learners over Zoom. Today, when I was screen-sharing a Word document, the document/program suddenly started jumping around -- with rapid, jerky up-and-down movement, as well as side-to-side movement in the ribbon/tabs area at the top. I had lost control of the document and could no longer continue reading it with my learner. Can anyone explain why that happened, and how to prevent it from happening in the future?

In the digital age, people want autonomy and the ability to self-serve, making AI chatbots a popular tool in customer experience strategies. In fact, a Morning Consult study found that 67 percent of consumers have used chatbots at least once in the past year and 42% are comfortable using them. The relative ease of use and widespread adoption of virtual assistants and agents make a customer support AI chatbot platform for websites beneficial and cost-effective to meet today’s customers’ expectations.  

What is a customer support chatbot?

A customer support chatbot uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to answer customers’ questions. AI chatbots are valuable customer service tools, adding a self-service option that allows customers to skip the wait and find the information they need without assistance from an agent. 

From a customer’s perspective, a customer support AI chatbot platform for websites is similar to a live chat tool. However, AI chatbots feature advanced automation so human agents don’t have to take time to respond—the AI chatbot software does. 

The advantages of using a customer support AI chatbot platform for websites

In an era of labor shortages, rising costs, and more customers opting to engage digitally, businesses of all sizes are looking for new solutions for customer support. Call centers that require customers to wait on hold for an agent won’t meet expectations for speed, convenience, and self-service options. 

In fact, a Mindful study determined that a customer’s patience wears thin after five minutes on hold, making it no surprise that Morning Consult reported 85% of consumers say short wait times should be provided as part of a support experience.

Also, adding an AI chatbot to your website allows customers to type their questions in natural language and get an immediate response. Furthermore, because a customer support AI chatbot platform for websites uses information from your knowledge base or help center documentation, all information the chatbot provides is up-to-date, accurate, and on-brand. 

A customer support AI chatbot platform for websites also allows small businesses to level up their service, helping them compete more effectively with bigger companies with more customer support resources. 

Build vs. buy website chatbot software: which is best?

When you add a chatbot to your website to support your customer service team, the next decision you need to make is how to do it. One option is to leverage internal resources with coding skills and user interface/user experience (UI/UX) expertise to create a chatbot for your business. Conversely, you can choose to use chatbot software from a vendor. 

Each option has its advantages. For example, in-house development allows you to design a unique chatbot. However, development takes time and investment, so using a platform from a solution provider can help you implement a chatbot more quickly. 

If you decide to use software from an AI chatbot provider, remember that some building will still be involved to tailor the chatbot to your specific needs. Fortunately, you won’t need developers on your team to use it, however. A platform that includes a visual chatbot builder will make it easier for you to create chatbots to add to your WordPress site or other website platform. 

How do I add a chatbot to my website?

Once you create and test your chatbot, you need to take it live on your website. If you choose a platform from a software provider, you’ll have information on native integrations or using a widget to add the chatbot to your website. 

What to consider when choosing the best customer support AI chatbot platform for websites 

Many companies planning to deploy a customer support chatbot use one from a provider. But it can be a challenge to find the best AI chatbot platform from among dozens on the market. 

These tips can help you evaluate options for your business.

Narrow your search to artificial intelligence chatbots

Not all chatbots are AI-powered with natural language processing capabilities. You may be able to add live chat or a search function to your website, but it won’t deliver the same customer experiences that an AI chatbot can offer. AI enables a chatbot to understand a customer’s intent and sentiment to provide more human-like responses. 

When selecting a chatbot for customer service, research the technology behind it and request a demo to experience the types of experiences it provides firsthand. 

Insist on the ease of a visual chatbot builder

A customer support AI chatbot platform for websites with a visual builder allows you to create chatbots by dragging and dropping elements of a customer interaction into a digital workspace to create a conversation flow. For example, the exchange may start with the question, “What’s my loyalty rewards balance?” You can drag a field in which you enter a response that takes the customer to a page where they can check the status of their loyalty account. You can also create interactions that clarify exactly what the customer is looking for or that request customer feedback. 

The software provider typically trains the AI chatbot platform to understand variations in language and ways a customer can ask a question, enabling interactions in different wording. 

Make pricing about value, not a bargain 

While searching for the perfect chatbot platform for your business, you’ll likely find free trials or free account versions. While this may enable you to deploy a chatbot, these deals may not give you all the features you need, like chat history, automated messages, and unlimited bots. 

Focus on the capabilities included in the packages and choose the one that will provide the greatest value to your support team and your business. Also, keep in mind that 57% of businesses find that chatbots deliver significant ROI. 

(Read how our Zoom chatbot helps us reinvent the customer experience and achieve a cost savings of $13 million every month.)

6 ways to improve customer support with an AI chatbot platform for websites 

Once you have selected the platform, remember these tips to optimize user experiences with the customer support AI chatbot platform for websites.

Add personality

The best customer experiences with AI chatbot platforms come from interactions that incorporate elements of human conversation. Build friendly greetings, thank them for using your website, and use a conversational tone that puts customers at ease. Giving your chatbot a “personality” that complements your brand can improve customer satisfaction. 

Expand integrations, if possible

A chatbot integrated with your knowledge base or help center is valuable. But one that’s integrated with your customer service management, customer relationships management, or ticketing software can deliver even more value to your customers and customer service team. Plan conversation flows and connect customers with the resources they need to create the best experiences possible. 

Plan fallbacks and escalation to human agents

The last thing you want is to trap a customer in a loop that doesn’t give them the information they need. The best AI chatbots include fallbacks that give customers an out, whether directing them to another resource or connecting them with customer service agents. 

When researching AI chatbot platform options, ask, “What if…?” and see how the chatbot responds. 

Test and update

A customer support AI chatbot platform for websites will only provide responses based on the information you give it. Involve your customer service team to determine the best way to respond to customer queries and how to orchestrate customer engagements. 

Your customer service team is also probably best qualified to test the chatbot and help keep it updated, enabling it to provide the best possible responses. 

Analytics 

Even if your evaluation of your chatbot is positive and it appears to work during tests, monitoring its performance in the real world is still necessary. Keep track of the most common customer queries and whether your chatbot gives answers that lead to customer satisfaction. 

Also, establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that will help you gauge chatbot performance, such as how often it responds correctly the first time and how often it needs to escalate requests to agents. If the chatbot isn’t achieving its objectives or performance declines, it’s time for an update or adjustment. 

Customer surveys

A quick way to gauge chatbot performance is to ask your customers. Ask customers to provide a quick rating or a brief comment at the end of each interaction to gather information that can help you measure customer satisfaction and identify potential areas of improvement. 

How Zoom Virtual Agent can help

Customer preferences continue to shift from requesting help from a human agent when they need straightforward answers to questions about products and services. The right customer support AI chatbot platform for websites enables you to offer a self-service tool that can enhance your customer service and allow your support team to work more efficiently. 

Zoom Virtual Agent includes the features you need, such as a visual chatbot builder and conversation flow builder, that make creating a chatbot simple. It also uses natural language processing to give your customers an improved experience. It also provides options to escalate issues to human agents on your team with smooth hand-offs. 

Talk to an expert today to learn how easy it can be to add an AI chatbot to your website. 

Original article posted in Zoom Blog.

Scheduling meetings used to be a tedious task, a never-ending game of scheduling Tetris, trying to fit everyone's availability into a neat little grid, which made it a time-consuming endeavor. But then, Zoom Scheduler came into the picture, a scheduling wizard that lets me effortlessly share my availability, allows my clients and colleagues to easily book appointments with me, and helps me focus on the important stuff – the actual meetings themselves.

Key Features of Zoom Scheduler:

• Share your availability: Zoom Scheduler allows you to share your availability with others, so they can easily see when you are available for meetings.
• Book appointments: Others can book appointments with you directly through Zoom Scheduler.
• Manage your schedule: Zoom Scheduler allows you to view and manage your schedule in one convenient location.
• Integrations: Zoom Scheduler integrates with Zoom Meetings, Zoom Mail and Calendar, Google Calendar, and Microsoft 365.

Benefits of Using Zoom Scheduler:

• Save time: Zoom Scheduler can save you time by eliminating the back-and-forth emailing and phone calls that are often required to schedule meetings.
• Boost productivity: Zoom Scheduler can help you boost your productivity by making it easy to schedule meetings and appointments with people inside and outside of your organization.
• Improve communication: Zoom Scheduler can help improve communication by providing a centralized location for scheduling meetings and appointments.
• Increase efficiency: Zoom Scheduler can help increase efficiency by allowing you to manage your schedule in one convenient location.

Overall, Zoom Scheduler is a powerful and versatile tool that can help you save time, boost productivity, and improve communication. I encourage you to give it a try and see how it can help you streamline your meetings and appointments. To learn more about how to use this amazing feature, check out Getting started with Zoom Scheduler.

Picture this: I was in a recent client meeting and we're in the midst of a lively discussion, and one of the admins, eyes brimming with curiosity, raises a question about Meeting Summary notifications. They admitted they missed the boat on Zoomtopia 2023, which happened in early October.

With a cheerful smile, I leaped into action and decided to show them the ropes. I swiftly demoed some past meeting summaries, revealing the magic of AI technology at play. I explained that this feature taps into the brilliance of AI, even involving third-party models, to let meeting hosts initiate an AI-generated meeting summary. The best part? It's sent out automatically after the meeting wraps up, right to their in-app chat and email. It's like a wizard at work, weaving meeting summaries effortlessly!

To make their day even brighter, I shared a nifty link where they could dive into all the details about using Meeting Summary and how Zoom's AI Companion takes care of their data. You should have seen their faces light up with excitement! They realized this fantastic feature was part and parcel of their Zoom One bundled package, and that was the icing on the cake.

Seeing our clients filled with happiness, joy, and excitement as we deliver top-notch service? It's what makes our job truly wonderful! 🌟

Even with the rise of AI, some users still prefer to manually create notes. The problem though is that users leverage a separate note-taking tool (or a 3rd party Zoom app) to summarize and track action items from their meetings, causing loss of focus and time to grant everyone access and to collaborate asynchronously.

With this in mind, Zoom has enriched the platform with collaborative document functionality in the form of Zoom Notes. 

Zoom Notes provides a clean user experience that allows users to create agendas and notes while staying within the Zoom platform instead of jumping to other content management tools. This allows users to create and share content within a Zoom Meeting and collaborate with others on the call for real-time inputs thus eliminating the distraction of switching between Zoom and third-party documents and apps. Users can even continue to work in Notes outside of meetings asynchronously and share them for collaboration anytime, anywhere.

You can access this and take notes right in the Zoom desktop or web client (coming soon to the Zoom mobile app) to further enhance Zoom’s collaboration capabilities before, during, and after a meeting.

• Before a meeting: Create a note, build an agenda, and share it with attendees in advance of the meeting. 
• During a meeting: Open a note and share it with others so they can collaborate during the meeting.

• After a meeting: Share a note with anyone who may benefit from the content. 

Notes also offers a robust personal and collaborative document editor with extensive formatting options such as font, styling, bullets, colors, add images and links. Moreover, Notes autosaves your work at regular intervals, so you don’t need to worry about losing any data.

And the best part? This is available for all users (free or paid) at no additional cost.