The Income Tax department has enabled a new feature of Co-browsing which is also known as collaborative browsing. This feature allows Helpdesk agents to collaborate with the taxpayer’s browser in real-time, just at the click of a button. This is done to provide real-time and personalized support. Through this agents can view and securely co-navigate the taxpayer’s screen and guide them interactively when a taxpayer is facing any error or problem. Agents can help with all the portal-related activity.
What exactly we can do with Co-browsing?
During a co-browsing session:
- The helpdesk agent gets an accurate visual representation of the Taxpayer’s browser screen.
- Agents can also annotate the taxpayer’s view of the screen, help to fill out ITR forms, and other Statutory forms, change settings, complete transactions, find help and reference materials for taxpayers, and even upload documents
- Agents can help the taxpayer to navigate, scroll, type text, and highlight areas of interest on the same browser tab in real-time.
- Co-browsing is simple to use. It can be easily combined with live chat, and phone to resolve the customer issue faster.
We as an individual are mostly afraid of data security and after this feature, one thing which comes to our mind is that this feature allows an agent to view other data as well. But this offers a private and safe experience because an agent cannot see any other information while co-browsing. Also, before beginning the session taxpayer needs to approve the request and if they want to stop the session they can end it.
How to start the session from the agent’s end?
- The agent will receive a call & CRM pops in in Infront of the Agent.
- The agent will talk to the taxpayer and guide the taxpayer on where to locate the co-browse button on the income tax portal.
- Taxpayer to generate PIN and share with Agent.
- Agent to click on the CB button on CRM which will take him to co-browse URL.
- Agent to enter PIN shared by the taxpayer in the screen displayed to Agent and click on the start session button.
- Once the Agent clicks on the Start Session button co-browse session will start & Agent can guide the taxpayer.
- After the Taxpayer gets the answers, he/she can click the STOP button anytime. Once the session has ended, the Agent will no longer see the Taxpayer’s browser
How Co-Browsing works?
When the taxpayer starts a session, the browser sends a request to the Co-Browser proxy.
- The request is then modified in a way that it looks as if the original request came from corbrowse.incometax.gov.in.
- This request is then sent to the original site that the leader wants to co-browse.
- The website sends back the response to the Co-Browser proxy.
- The Co-Browser proxy then modifies the data so that it can be loaded into an iframe that rests on top of the original page.
- Both the leader and the follower now interact with the website as it is loaded within the iframe. From this point, there’s only communication between the user’s browsers and the proxy, and the requests don’t continuously have to be sent to the original website anymore.
How is it different from Screen sharing?
- Co-browsing is more convenient and easy as it doesn’t require anyone to download any software. Agents can quickly connect to Tax payer’s browsers.
- Co-Browsing provides a much more private and secure experience as the agent can only view the active window and nothing else.
- Agents can do actions on the client’s browsers (like highlight, click, fill out forms., etc)
- Co-Browsing software comes with a data masking feature that hides confidential data during the session.
Earlier when you face any problem you could only mail them, chat on chatbot or call their helpdesk numbers and wait for a revert which usually takes a lot of time but through this advancement, taxpayers will get help in real-time and in a more personalized way.
You can also contact us at info@taxreturnwala.com for any consultancy.