IrisCX

By: Guillermo Salazar • 20 March 2025

See More, Solve More: Is your remote triage solution failing because it ignores how the human brain works?

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The Human Capacity to Learn & Its Impact on Remote Triage and Customer Support

Why Humans are top of the food chainHumans absorb and process information through three primary channels, combining these has made us masters of the planet:
  1. Written (Text-Based Learning) – Books, manuals, documentation, chatbots
  2. Spoken (Auditory Learning) – Conversations, verbal instructions, podcasts
  3. Visual (Image & Video-Based Learning) – Diagrams, videos, live demonstrations
Our daily lives are a combination of shapes, letters, and sounds—a human adaptation for avoiding danger and making quick decisions.The brain is optimized for sight (vision):
  • More than 50% of the brain’s cortex is devoted to processing visual information (Williams, William G. Allyn Professor of Medical Optics).
  • Like a computer, vision is the dominant way humans process and convey information—Ever ordered food just by looking at pictures? even in a foreign country? This is why.
  • Seeing Shapes (7 million years old) vs. Alphabets (3,800 years old): Vision has shaped survival for half a billion years, while written language—a recent human invention—has only existed for 0.0005% of that time. Your brain is wired for images first, text second.
People have different learning preferences:
  • Visual Learners: 65% of people prefer to learn visually.
  • Auditory Learners: 30% prefer auditory learning.
  • Kinesthetic Learners: 5% learn best through hands-on activities.
*(Btw/ you guessed it: We like to staff Mtce Call centers with Kinesthetic Learners, and ask them to solve the problems of Visual Learners.)90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed in the brain at 60,000 times the speed of text. In other words, we look at pictures and videos regularly, and we consume them more quickly than we do text.This aligns with Richard E. Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (CTML), which suggests that humans process information through dual channels—one for visual/pictorial input and another for auditory/verbal input (Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning). Each channel has a limited processing capacity, meaning that overloading one (such as relying solely on text) makes learning less effective. Instead, combining visuals, voice, and text together improves comprehension and problem-solving.Supporting humans effectively means using vision, text, AND voice together.

The Three Modes of Learning & Their Strengths

1. Written Learning (Text-Based, Including Chatbots)
  • Strengths: Permanent, structured, easy to reference, scalable with AI chatbots.
  • Weaknesses: Can be misinterpreted, lacks real-time adaptability for complex issues.
  • Chatbots add automation and speed, but lack context awareness and human problem-solving abilities.
2. Spoken Learning (Auditory)
  • Strengths: Immediate, interactive, allows for clarifications.
  • Weaknesses: Memory retention issues, lacks visual reinforcement.
3. Visual Learning (Image & Video-Based)
  • Strengths: Fast comprehension, effective for complex or spatial tasks.
  • Weaknesses: Not always interactive, requires context and narration.

Challenges with Language in Remote Support

  • Language Barriers: Not all users are native English speakers.
  • Approximately 78% of U.S. residents speak only English at home.
  • 22% speak a language other than English, increasing the likelihood of miscommunication.
  • Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Users with LEP may struggle with text-heavy or verbal instructions.
  • 8.4% of U.S. residents speak English less than "very well."
  • Misinterpretation Risks: Non-native speakers may misinterpret technical jargon or idiomatic expressions.
  • Visual Cues Help Bridge Language Gaps:
  • A picture of a broken appliance conveys more than a text description in an unfamiliar language.
  • Icons, symbols, and images help users navigate instructions without needing fluency.

Support Limitations When Using Only Conventional Channels

Expensive Guesses in the Home Setting

  • Since we can't see the problem, we guess.
  • These guesses often lead to costly customer trips, unnecessary service tech visits, product returns, or frustrated customers who just quit.
  • Users May Struggle to Describe the Issue:
  • Lack of technical vocabulary leads to vague descriptions (“It’s making a weird noise”).
  • Support agents must rely on inefficient back-and-forth questioning to diagnose the issue.
  • Difficulty in Describing Physical or Mechanical Problems:
  • A leaking pipe may be described as “dripping” when it’s actually gushing.
  • Without visual confirmation, minor issues may be misdiagnosed as major problems (or vice versa).
  • Stress and Frustration:
  • Home users are often troubleshooting under pressure (e.g., no AC, broken appliances).
  • Stress makes clear communication harder, leading to misunderstandings and longer resolution times.

When Support is Built for How Humans Learn, Everything Gets Easier

  • When support matches how humans process information, it benefits both customers and experts:
  • Tickets close faster because agents get to the root of the problem quicker.
  • Fewer costly service trips because support can see the problem before dispatching help.
  • Customers feel more confident and capable, making support a positive experience instead of a burden.
  • The result? Happier customers, fewer returns, and reduced support costs.

Don’t bet against the brain.

It is expensive to bet against the way the brain works. If you sell to humans, or humans use your product; choose based on how they learn, consider the difference seeing the problem makes.
  • Can your agents see what the customer sees?
  • Can your customers show, rather than struggle to describe?
  • If not, you’re leaving money on the table with wasted trips, product returns, and frustrated users.

Our mission is to simplify the homeowners & home builders customer experience. Let Iris do the work.

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