09/01/2021

Genesys and Be My Eyes Partner to Create Accessible Experiences

New integration and investment expands access to customer service for the global visually impaired community

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Genesys®, a global cloud leader in customer experience orchestration, has announced it is the first and only customer experience vendor to provide accessible experiences through Be My Eyes — the mobile app and largest global community for the visually impaired. Together, the companies are giving visually impaired people brand new tools to more easily navigate customer service.

With this partnership, brands will now be able to gain valuable perspective from their visually impaired customers, providing remote assistance to Be My Eyes users. For example, if a customer is in a drug store shopping for allergy medicine, they can make a video call through Be My Eyes, and the agent on the other end will help them find exactly what they’re looking for in the store. The agent can also recommend related items that are on sale. By helping visually impaired customers navigate their world, brands can revisit their entire customer experience to be more inclusive and accessible. More importantly, consumers no longer need to wrestle with a product that doesn’t work for them.  

Accessibility is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of customer satisfaction and retention. When it’s not easy for consumers to use a product or service, they’re likely going to do business elsewhere. This native integration enables the visually impaired to connect with sighted contact center agents for visual assistance through a live video call. This happens through the Be My Eyes app, which is integrated with the Genesys platform — enabling agents to offer immediate answers.

With Be My Eyes, five million individuals already lend their eyes to solve tasks — big and small — to help more than 350,000 blind and visually impaired people. But there are another two billion people in world who could benefit from visual assistance. This partnership will allow over 7,000 Genesys customers using Genesys to connect more seamlessly with their customers and, in turn, deliver empathetic and inclusive experiences.

Along with the partnership, Genesys is making a strategic investment in Be My Eyes to support the growth of its platform. This integration is currently available for Genesys Cloud^TM and Genesys Multicloud CX^TM customers. If you’d like to volunteer as an individual with Be My Eyes, contact community@bemyeyes.com.

Comments on the News:

"We’re putting empathy in action with our partnership with Be My Eyes. It’s time to further expand the accessibility of customer service and more deliberately design customer engagement solutions for everyone," said Peter Graf, chief strategy officer of Genesys. "Many companies get calls from visually impaired customers, but often are not prepared to answer them. As part of our Experience as a Service vision, we believe every customer’s experience must be empathetic, effective and efficient. The integration of Genesys cloud solutions and Be My Eyes is an important step into this direction."

"Calling for support can be one of the most frustrating or enlightening experiences a person can have," said Christian Erfurt, CEO and co-founder of Be My Eyes, "– even more so when you are one of the 2.2 billion people worldwide living with blindness or a low level of vision. At Be My Eyes we connect thousands of people every day to share eyesight and insight, and we’re so thrilled that Genesys has opened the door for us to amplify our mission and impact."

According to a Forrester report, "Companies newly concerned about D&I as a result have launched efforts to increase it in the workplace. But this employee-only scope of D&I initiatives at most firms will cause them to miss out on the business opportunity of also making customers’ experiences inclusive."¹

About Genesys
Every year, Genesys orchestrates more than 70 billion remarkable customer experiences for organizations in more than 100 countries. Through the power of our cloud, digital and AI technologies, organizations can realize Experience as a Service^SM, our vision for empathetic customer experiences at scale. With Genesys, organizations have the power to deliver proactive, predictive and hyper-personalized experiences to deepen their customer connection across every marketing, sales and service moment on any channel, while also improving employee productivity and engagement. By transforming back-office technology to a modern revenue velocity engine Genesys enables true intimacy at scale to foster customer trust and loyalty. Visit www.genesys.com.

©2021 Genesys. All rights reserved. Genesys, the Genesys logo, Genesys Cloud, Genesys Cloud, Genesys Engage, Genesys Multicloud CX, Genesys DX and Experience as a Service are trademarks, service marks and/or registered trademarks of Genesys. All other company names and logos may be registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective companies.

About Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes is a global community that connects people who are blind or have low vision with sighted volunteers or company representatives. On the app, volunteers assist blind and low-vision users through a live video connection and work together to tackle challenges and handle a wide range of tasks. With the Specialized Help feature, blind and low-vision users can connect with company representatives for accessible customer support. The app harnesses the power of generosity, technology, and human connection to help blind and low-vision people lead more independent lives. Be My Eyes is accessible in more than 150 countries worldwide and in over 180 languages. The app is free and available for both iOS and Android.

To inquire about Be My Eyes, contact community@bemyeyes.com.

CONTACT: Sarah Koniniec, sarah.koniniec@genesys.com

¹  Predictions 2021: Customer Experience, Forrester Research, Inc., October 23rd, 2020.

SOURCE Genesys