How Personalized Videos Can Prevent Billing Support Calls

Every month, a predictable wave of frustration hits call centers and inboxes: customers confused—or worse, angry—about their latest bill.

Sometimes the price goes up unexpectedly. Other times, usage caps are breached, new charges appear, or discounts disappear. And while companies may have valid reasons, customers often feel blindsided, leading to hours of support calls, ticket volume spikes, and frayed trust.

What if there were a better way to address this pain point?

In this blog post, we explore how businesses—especially those offering usage-based services—can proactively reduce support volume and increase customer satisfaction using personalized video explainers powered by Synthesia.

‎‎The Modern Billing Model: Flexible, but Frustrating

From SaaS products and telecom plans to gas and electricity usage, variable pricing models have become the norm. In theory, they are fairer—customers pay for what they use. In practice, however, they are often opaque, especially when usage patterns change unexpectedly.

• A product team exceeds their API quota for a cloud tool.
• A family streams more data while traveling.
• A heatwave drives energy consumption through the roof.

These changes are reflected in a higher bill—and often a higher volume of support inquiries.

According to Salesforce, nearly half of customer support calls are billing related, and most of it arises from customers who didn’t anticipate a pricing change. These calls are often long and emotionally charged, putting pressure on support staff.

Why Reactive Support Isn’t Enough

Here’s the problem: by the time a user contacts support, the damage is done. They’re already frustrated. Worse, they may have started looking for competitors.

This is especially true in SaaS, where net retention is king and even a small uptick in churn can harm long-term revenue. Usage-based pricing helps align value with spend, but only if customers understand how usage correlates with cost.

Sadly, that understanding is rarely intuitive. A spike in queries, more seats, extra data usage—all require explanation. Yet most bills still arrive in bland, dense PDFs, accompanied by generic email subject lines like: “Your monthly invoice is ready.” Not exactly confidence-inspiring.

The Opportunity: Proactive, Personalized Communication

What customers want is simple: to know why something changed.

Research shows that proactive communication reduces complaints by 40% and increases customer satisfaction by 85%. It is especially useful when it helps them avoid problems before they arise. It’s not enough to issue a bill; you need to contextualize it.

Imagine this: “Hi Sarah, your bill increased by $37 this month due to higher video export usage. Here’s a quick 60-second video that walks you through it visually.”

This type of proactive message builds trust. It says: “We see you. We understand your situation. And we’re here to help.” You’re not waiting for Sarah to get angry—you’re addressing her potential concern before she feels it.

That’s where video comes in.

‎Why Video is the Perfect Format for Explaining Bills

Text-based communications often fail to convey empathy or clarity. Explainer videos—when used smartly—bridge this gap.

According to Yans Media, 68% of users prefer watching a video over contacting support when they need help. Not only is it more convenient, but it’s also far easier to follow—especially when explaining line items, historical comparisons, or new plan limits.

With Synthesia, these videos can:

• Overlay visuals on real invoices or usage graphs
• Use AI avatars to “walk through” the changes
• Highlight key differences from the previous month
• Include branding and tone tailored to your company’s style

They don’t need to be long. In fact, videos under 2 minutes perform 25% better, making them ideal for monthly billing summaries.

And because Synthesia supports bulk creation and API-triggered automation, you can do this at scale—generating tens, hundreds, or thousands of personalized explainers each month.

Here's an example:

‎Automating the Workflow: From Data to Video in Minutes

Let’s break down how this would work in practice.

1. Trigger: A rule detects a significant bill delta (e.g., 15%+ increase month-over-month). The system flags the account.

2. Analyze: Your backend (or an LLM layer) evaluates what caused the difference—extra usage, new product tiers, expired discount, etc.

3. Generate Video Script: A short summary script is created:

“Your video export limit was increased this month after your team uploaded 40% more content than usual. That’s why your invoice shows an additional $20 in usage fees.”

4. Render with Synthesia: Using a pre-built template and your brand’s avatar, the script is turned into a video. You can also include the customer’s actual invoice screenshot or graph overlays.

5. Deliver: The video is sent via email or embedded in the billing portal. Support teams can also use it in ticket responses.

Thanks to Synthesia’s API and bulk video uploader, this process can run without human involvement, ensuring timely, consistent delivery every billing cycle.

‎Results You Can Expect

The impact of this approach is measurable:

Companies using explainer videos for customer support report:

• 36% reduction in tickets with how-to explainer videos
• 43% fewer billing-related calls with explainer videos
• Higher CSAT scores due to perceived transparency

Add to that the intangible benefit of reduced support fatigue—fewer irate calls and more meaningful customer interactions—and it’s clear: the ROI is hard to ignore.

Best Practices for Creating Billing Explainer Videos

To get the most from this approach, here are a few tips:

Focus on the delta

Don’t repeat the full bill—just explain what changed and why.

Visuals matter

Use invoice screenshots, graphs, or progress bars to add context.

Keep it short

1–2 minutes is the sweet spot. Attention spans are short.

Humanize the voice

Even if it’s an AI avatar, write scripts like you’re speaking to a friend.

Segment your users

Enterprise accounts might need more detailed breakdowns; casual users might prefer a 30-second summary.

Offer escalation

Close each video with a call to action:

“Still have questions? Click here to speak to support.”

Use Case Snapshot: Telecom, SaaS, and Utilities

This approach works across industries:

Telecom: Explain roaming charges or new plan adjustments.

SaaS: Break down feature overuse or plan upgrades.

Utilities: Highlight seasonal energy spikes or rate changes.

In all cases, the principle is the same: don’t let a billing surprise become a customer support crisis.

Final Thoughts: From Billing Headaches to Relationship Wins

Billing friction is inevitable in usage-based models. But it doesn’t have to be painful—for you or your customers.

By pairing data with empathy and automation with clarity, personalized video explainers can turn moments of confusion into moments of connection.

It’s time to stop hiding behind PDFs and start showing your customers that you care enough to explain the “why.”

With Synthesia, doing this at scale has never been easier.