[NFBJ] Be My Eyes App-specialized help

Sun Feb 25 17:15:24 UTC 2018

Introducing Specialized Help

We are thrilled to announce the newest feature in the Be My Eyes app: Specialized Help - a better way to connect with businesses and organizations when you need assistance with their products or services.

As you know, Be My Eyes is here to help you tackle a wide range of visual challenges as you go about your day. Until today, Be My Eyes has randomly connected you to a volunteer to solve daily tasks. Some tasks, however, require specialized assistance.

Contacting customer support through email or by phone isn’t always ideal. Direct communication with a business’s customer support agent could be a more vision-friendly alternative and less time consuming for you. If someone from the company could see the issue in real time, issues with their products or services could be resolved more efficiently.

So we’ve strategized a way to better assist you: enlisting the help of representatives from companies whose products you use all the time. It’s our sincere pleasure to introduce Specialized Help. This new feature means that a trained company representative is available to answer questions or help you tackle issues with speed and in-depth solutions. Maybe you need help figuring out how to use an unfamiliar product, or you might want to interact on a company’s app or website while on the phone with their representative. With Specialized Help, it’s easy to get in touch with businesses and organizations when you encounter a challenge with their products or services. And as always, it’s completely free.

The next time you update your Be My Eyes app, there will be a second button added to the main screen to take you to the Specialized Help Menu. Clicking “Specialized Help” will lead you to the list of companies with representatives available to answer your call and assist you through a live video connection. Each business profile will include descriptions of their services, hours of operation, and supported languages.

Microsoft is first to join

Microsoft is the first company joining our platform to offer Specialized Help and maintains their mission to empower every person on the planet to achieve more. Included in that mission is a program aimed at offering free technical support to the disability community – Microsoft Disability Answer Desk.

“Be My Eyes provides a new and innovative way for our customers to get technical support,” said Neil Barnett, Director Disability Answer Desk, Microsoft. “With a simple tap, customers can access the Disability Answer Desk from their phone to get the help they need with Microsoft products and services."

Be My Eyes is on a journey with Microsoft to help more people utilize technology as a means of empowerment to achieve more in their daily lives. Starting today, Microsoft agents will be available through Be My Eyes Specialized Help to users in Australia, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, Ireland, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa and the United States offering assistance in English. If you need help with Windows or Office products just give them a call.

Who Would You Like Us to Bring Onboard Specialized Help?

At the present moment, you have the option to contact Microsoft. Improving the customer service experience takes time, rest assured, but more companies from a variety of fields will join the Specialized Help platform soon. Your feedback is of tremendous value to us. If there are businesses and organizations that you may seek assistance from and would like them to a part of the Specialized Help platform, please let us know, and we will do our best to include them. You can simply respond to this email or write us at  <mailto:info at bemyeyes.com> info at bemyeyes.com. It is our hope that Specialized Help will provide a better way to connect you with businesses and organizations.

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Feb. 21, 2018 – Be My Eyes, a free smartphone app that supports people who are blind or have low vision, will now offer their customers technology support from Microsoft Corp. in 12 countries. Through the new app update via the Specialized Help menu, customers will be able to connect with the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk, which offers free technical support for customers with disabilities. 

Be My Eyes is an app, available on iOS and Android, that connects customers who are blind or have low vision with over 850,000 volunteers for guidance and help with tasks like cooking, finding lost items, catching a bus, reviewing mail and more. As many requests to Be My Eyes volunteers are technology-related, this is a good opportunity to collaborate with Microsoft for support.

How it works - Every day, sighted volunteers lend their eyes to solve tasks big and small to help blind and low vision people lead more independent lives.

For more information visit: https://www.bemyeyes.com/