Our ResponsEye video streaming tool is helping registered gas engineers to fix boilers, cookers and other appliances more quickly, safely and efficiently by getting real-time advice from technical support teams.
The challenge
We manage the Health and Safety Executive’s Gas Safe Register (GSR), making sure that only trained and certified gas engineers can install appliances. Registered engineers have the benefit of support and guidance from our technical team, but making sure that they’re both on the same page when they’re discussing an issue over the phone can be difficult.
Our brains are hardwired for visual communication. We process and interpret visual information tens of thousands of times more quickly, effectively and accurately than we do spoken information. Communicating visually saves time and ensures that both sender and receiver instantly share a clear picture of the situation.
Showing, not telling
If an engineer needs extra support to fix a problem safely, they can call our technical helpline. The technical support officer may suggest that they use our ResponsEye live video streaming tool to identify the issue quickly, sending a link to the engineer’s mobile phone via SMS or email.
The engineer clicks on the link, giving tech support oneoff access to a ResponsEye feed from their mobile phone camera. They live-stream from their location, showing technical support the problem that they’re facing and immediately receiving the help they need to solve it quickly and safely. They can also share the live stream with other users so that supervisors or other experts can join in the call and give extra advice
Engineer and technical support can communicate clearly and effectively thanks to the real-time visuals that ResponsEye provides.
ResponsEye works on Android and iOS smartphones. Engineers can start video streaming immediately, without downloading any special apps or software. ResponsEye is making it easy for technical support officers to respond to concerns about gas installations – checking potential problem areas like ventilation, gaps, spillage, sooting and potential blockages – with eyes on the specific appliance in question. They can text each other as they’re watching the video stream, and ResponsEye saves a transcript for training or recordkeeping.
Impact and future applications
We’re bringing a virtual eye into homes and businesses that can create better outcomes for a broad range of applications, from water and other utilities to emergency services. As well as ResponsEye’s video streaming capabilities, which let the call handler view multiple incoming streams from different callers in a single session, the tool can deliver important safety data such as the caller’s GPS location, enabling a speedier response when time is of the essence.
After taking part in a demonstration of the tool, Stuart Aires, of Surrey-based Banstead Boilers, said: “ResponsEye is like someone holding your hand a bit... It could be useful for newly qualified engineers, unusual circumstances and problems with rental properties. It could also give engineers the confidence to tell the customer why you’re taking the actions that you’re taking.”
Deploying ResponsEye has been a positive step forward for GSR, allowing sometimes complex situations to be resolved. Rather than the engineer trying to describe what they are looking at, they can show us. Our technical team have used ResponsEye on several occasions and find it a useful tool for assisting engineers.
Katrina Martin, Technical Officer at Gas Safe Register
