Getting Customer Self-Service Right

Written by KOVA Corp

It’s no secret that customers today are demanding effective self-service options from the contact centers they interact with.

From financial services to retail to technology services, contact centers in industries of all types are realizing that offering self-service options is the only way to keep their customers loyal and happy.

But offering self-service and getting it right are two different things. How can contact centers ensure that they’re employing self-service options in the right situations? Here are some tips on ways to make sure your contact center is getting self-service right.

Why self-service is important

According to research by the Aberdeen Group, contact centers that employ self-service measures have a 67 percent customer retention rate, compared to 48 percent for those that don’t. Likewise, contact centers with self-service programs have a 6.8 percent annual growth in the average customer profit margin, compared to just 1.8 percent for contact centers without these programs.

However, these numbers are achieved only when self-service strategies are deployed correctly and in the right context. When deployed prematurely, or for the wrong issues, self-service options can instead result in longer contact times or a decrease in the first contact resolution rate. This, of course, will only mean more frustrated customers.

Common issues with self-service

When used well and supported by a strong contact center software system, self-service can be a huge timesaver for both agents and customers.

But there are a few common stumbling blocks that many contact centers deal with when implementing self-service.

  1. Self-service is suggested for issues that are too complex. This is one of the top reasons that customers end up being unable to resolve their problems through self-service, according to Aberdeen’s report Self-Service vs. Assisted Service: When’s the Right Time to Use Them?
  2. Self-service options are best for simple, easy-to-resolve issues - things like updating credit card information or very basic troubleshooting. This option is also great for answering questions about things like a return policy, business hours, or how to change or cancel a subscription plan.

    If, however, a contact center gets too caught up in the self-service craze, customers may find themselves being directed to a self-service tool or section of a website for an issue that could be much more quickly resolved by an agent over the phone or via live chat. The result is a cranky customer who now has to spend even more time trying to fix their problem.

  3. Customers aren’t given choices of whether to use the self-service menus or not. A surefire way to anger customers is to shunt them all through a self-service menu before you allow them to actually speak to anyone.
  4. Companies do this in a couple of different ways. One is to make it prohibitively difficult to find a phone number to call, perhaps by hiding it deep inside a website or not including it anywhere on promotional materials. Another is to force callers through a self-service menu before giving them the option to speak to an agent.

    Instead, contact centers should make it easy for customers to choose how they want to resolve their issues. Do they want to look at the Frequently Asked Questions page? Or would they rather just talk or live chat with someone immediately? Offering this choice will almost certainly have a positive impact on your customer’s perception of your business.

  5. The self-service portal is hard to navigate or poorly organized. This is another top reason that customers have issues using self-service tools. If the user experience is poorly designed, customers may either give up after a few minutes, or continue searching for extended periods of time without finding the exact information they need. Either way, you’ve now got a frustrated caller on your hands.
  6. Contact centers that are focusing on their self-service options must take the time to ensure a smooth, seamless user experience. That means not only having thorough, easy-to-read, and well-written articles available, but also making them easy to access via an intuitive self-service portal.

For contact centers, self-service tools can be a great way to increase customer satisfaction and decrease the time agents spend answering the same simple questions. However, for self-service to be successful, it must be integrated into the entire customer service experience.

To find out more about ways to improve your customers’ experience, watch this video on Call Center Solutions for Superior Success.

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