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How customer self-service empowers your most important stakeholders

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According to our Customer Service Trends Report 2024, a staggering 87% of customer service teams reported a surge in customer expectations – a 4% jump from just last year.1 

Actually, today’s consumers expect prompt resolutions, personalized interactions, and the ability to resolve issues on their own terms. They seek, in other words, control and autonomy in their interactions with businesses.

While the demand for exceptional service continues to climb, support teams are often stretched thin. In fact, a study by Forrester shows that customer experience (CX) quality fell for 19% of brands in 2022 – the lowest level in 17 years.2 

This stark decrease in the quality of customer experience begs a crucial question: how can businesses effectively address the evolving needs and expectations of their customers while maintaining a high level of operational efficiency?

Customer self-service is one of the most promising solutions out there that’s capable of striking the perfect balance between these objectives. It’s a transformative approach that empowers customers to navigate challenges and find answers independently. This, in turn, frees support teams to focus on the more complex inquiries that require their guidance and assistance, fostering a mutually beneficial environment for reps and their customers.

Simply put, implementing self-service tools in your business is a powerful strategy that offers advantages to all major stakeholders by empowering agents, satisfying customers, and contributing to a more efficient, sustainable business. These positive outcomes hold especially true when companies are harnessing the use of AI, which can further expand the potential of self-service support.

In this article, we’ll delve into the specifics of this increasingly vital subject, exploring the impact and benefits of customer self-service and introducing a practical roadmap for seamless integration.

Customer self-service: Understanding the basics

Modern consumers seek convenience and control. Because of this, they prefer to resolve issues independently rather than through lengthy customer support interactions that sap their time and sometimes require multiple transfers. In fact, 79%  expect organizations to provide tools that enable them to find answers without contacting support.3

This shift in consumer behavior gave rise to the concept of customer self-service. And over the last decade, this customer service feature has transitioned into a powerful tool for businesses of all sizes.

What is customer self-service?

Customer self-service, also known as self-service support or simply self-service, is a customer support approach that provides consumers with the tools and resources they need to resolve their issues without having to contact a customer service representative. This can be done through a variety of channels, including online knowledge bases, chatbots, interactive voice response (IVR) systems, and frequently asked questions (FAQ) pages.

Unlike traditional customer service, where a direct conversation with a representative is often a customer service department’s first line of defense, self-service allows customers to be proactive and assertive, problem-solving on their own before turning to representatives. It's a substantial behavioral shift from reliance and dependency to a powerful sense of autonomy that benefits businesses and their customers alike. 

Let’s say you've misplaced your password and need help resetting it. Instead of sitting through long, unpredictable hold times, , you can head to the company's online knowledge base, engage with a chatbot, or navigate an interactive voice response (IVR) system to get the answer in a much faster, more efficient fashion. 

Customer self-service isn't a static concept, though – it’s been evolving for years now. From the humble beginnings of IVRs and bare-bones FAQ pages to the introduction of knowledge bases and chatbots, the landscape is continually expanding. This evolution isn't just a temporary, passing trend, though – it's a lasting response to the growing need for faster, more efficient customer-business interactions. So, how does self-service impact customer service?

Self-service has dramatically influenced the way businesses interact with their users. It allows customers to resolve issues independently, reduces the burden on frontline teams, and improves overall customer satisfaction.

The customer service landscape is experiencing a monumental shift. Learn about support metrics that matter most in the wake of AI and other emerging tech.

How does customer self-service work?

Customer self-service operates as a multifaceted toolkit where each solution serves a unique purpose. This dynamic approach not only empowers users by providing instant, accessible solutions but also contributes significantly to the efficiency and scalability of businesses, ensuring a positive, advantageous scenario for all stakeholders. 

Let’s take a look at the various dimensions of self-service and explore how they work together to enhance the overall customer experience:

  1. Interactive voice response (IVR) systems: IVR systems simplify customer support by guiding clients through self-service options via automated phone menus. These systems can handle a wide range of tasks, such as checking order statuses, resetting passwords, and providing account information without requiring agent interaction. This initial interaction not only expedites the resolution process but also frees up support representatives to focus on more complex issues.

  2. FAQs and glossary pages: Frequently asked questions (FAQs) and glossary pages provide customers with immediate access to answers to common queries. These resources are meticulously compiled and organized to ensure easy navigation, allowing them to find solutions without the need for further assistance. FAQs address prevalent issues, often offering step-by-step solutions that users can apply themselves, thereby reducing reliance on support agents.

  3. Online knowledge bases: Online knowledge bases serve as comprehensive repositories of information, providing detailed explanations, product manuals, troubleshooting guides, and how-to articles. These extensive resources help customers resolve common issues on their own, fostering a sense of self-reliance and reducing the burden on support teams.

  4. Chatbots (rule-based and AI-powered): Chatbots, powered by either rule-based or artificial intelligence (AI), have revolutionized self-service by engaging in simulated conversations with customers. These intelligent chatbots can provide immediate assistance, answer questions, resolve basic inquiries, and guide users through self-service processes. AI-powered chatbots offer a more sophisticated level of interaction, utilizing natural language processing (NLP) to understand customer intent and provide custom responses.

  5. Community forums: Community forums foster a sense of collective problem-solving by providing a platform for customers to connect, share experiences, and exchange solutions. These online spaces allow them to tap into the collective knowledge of their peers, often helping them to find solutions to their issues before ever needing to contact support. The collaborative nature of community forums promotes self-reliance and empowers users to help one another.

  6. Self-service portals: Self-service portals provide consumers with a centralized hub for accessing a comprehensive range of self-service options in a single, easily accessible platform. These portals typically encompass a variety of features, including online knowledge bases, FAQs, chatbots, community forums, and IVR integration. Self-service portals offer a convenient, customized customer experience, allowing them to resolve issues independently and access information at their own pace.

These diverse channels complement each other, ensuring a comprehensive and efficient self-service experience. IVR systems handle routine inquiries, FAQs and glossary pages offer instant answers, online knowledge bases provide in-depth information, chatbots facilitate real-time conversations, community forums foster collaboration, and self-service portals unify the entire customer experience.

Take a peek at how our AI-powered bot, Fin, can optimize your existing knowledge base to ensure you deliver effective and personalized support.

Why do organizations need customer self service?

Customers today expect near-instantaneous replies. A recent survey of 3,200 users indicated that nearly 12% expect a response within 15 minutes or less. This heightened demand places immense pressure on businesses to adapt and provide efficient and extremely timely support.

To meet these expectations, organizations are constantly seeking innovative ways to simplify their operations and deliver exceptional support. Self-service has emerged as a powerful tool in this endeavor, enabling customers to resolve issues independently and at their convenience. 

Beyond its customer-centric appeal, self-service offers a multitude of advantages that directly impact operational efficiency, critical performance metrics, and overall business success.

In this fast-paced, demanding environment, organizations need customer self-service because:

  • It enhances customer satisfaction. By providing users with a convenient and efficient way to resolve their issues, it allows them to avoid waiting on hold or sinking time into long conversations with service representatives, leading to a more positive and satisfying experience.

  • It helps drive employee productivity. By taking on the majority of the routine inquiries, it allows agents to dedicate their time and expertise to resolving more intricate customer problems that require their specialized knowledge.

  • It increases operational efficiency. By streamlining support operations and reducing the overall workload for support teams, it enables organizations to allocate resources more effectively and focus on strategic initiatives that drive growth.

  • It provides data-driven insights. Organizations can collect valuable data about customer interactions and common pain points. They’re then able to analyze this data and identify potential areas for improvement and other opportunities to optimize processes and the overall customer service experience. 

  • It strengthens customer relationships. By providing customers with the tools and resources they need to resolve issues independently, organizations can demonstrate how they value their customers’ time and their efforts to constantly improve and expand upon their experience. 

  • It’s accessible and convenient. Self-service channels remain open and responsive all the time, ensuring assistance is available whenever customers require it. This perpetual accessibility is ideally suited to the expectations of the modern, always-connected consumer, putting businesses in an excellent position to secure enduring customer loyalty.

  • It can be scaled effectively to accommodate growing customer bases and evolving support needs. As customer volumes increase, self-service tools can be easily replicated and deployed to handle the growing demand without requiring substantial increases in staffing or infrastructure.

By embracing self-service, organizations stand to gain not only in terms of efficiency and scalability but, more importantly, in their ability to provide end-to-end experiences that appeal to and resonate with the preferences of modern consumers.

Best practices to get the most out of customer self-service

Implementing customer self-service isn’t just about adopting the latest technologies – it also requires thoughtful planning and execution. To get the most out of your self-service system, organizations should consider the following best practices:

  1. Start with a small scope: Attempting to implement all customer self-service solutions simultaneously can overwhelm both customers and employees. Instead, begin with a few key areas, such as a well-structured knowledge base or a chatbot capable of handling routine inquiries. Once these initial components are well-established and thoroughly integrated into workflows, gradually introduce additional options, allowing for a smooth transition and adaptation.

  2. Discuss the workflow with your team: Implementing self-service represents a significant change for your customer support team. Before making any changes, it's crucial to secure buy-in from your team. Educate your staff about the benefits of these tools and how they’ll streamline operations and reduce workloads. Your overarching objective should be to  assure your team that self-service is not a threat, but rather a strategy for enhancing and bolstering their roles.

  3. Train your support reps: Equip your frontline service representatives with the necessary skills to understand your company’s self-service tools in a thorough, all-encompassing way. This includes training staff on the functionalities of each tool, teaching them how to troubleshoot common issues, and demonstrating how customers can be directed to the appropriate options. A well-trained team accelerates the process of integrating self-service into the overall customer support strategy.

  4. Make it easy for your customers: You want your self-service solutions to require minimal time and effort on the part of users. Make your tools effortless to locate, access, and use. Promote them prominently – on your website, in marketing materials, and during customer support interactions. Include clear links to self-service options in website navigation, knowledge base articles, and support FAQs. Ensure that customers can easily find the assistance they need without having to navigate through complex menus or contact support agents.

  5. Test regularly and seek feedback: Regularly evaluate the performance and effectiveness of your customer self-service solutions. Conduct thorough testing to identify any areas of improvement, usability issues, or potential bottlenecks. Gather feedback from customers through surveys, interviews, or feedback forms. Use this data to strengthen and refine your solutions, always keeping an eye on how to best meet the evolving needs and expectations of your customers. 

  6. Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs): Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor the performance of your customer self-service solutions. Track metrics such as usage rates, issue resolution types, and customer satisfaction. Analyzing this data provides insights into the effectiveness of your existing setup, allowing for continuous improvement.

  7. Integrate with other service solutions: For a holistic customer service approach, integrate customer self-service with other available solutions. High levels of integration create a unified experience across various touchpoints, promoting consistency, efficiency, and ease-of-use. Further, enabling data sharing between systems can deliver personalized interactions and streamline the overall customer support process.

  8. Regular updates and fresh content: Maintain the relevance and effectiveness of your self-service solutions by regularly updating your tools with the latest information. Keep your knowledge base articles up-to-date, refine chatbot responses, and introduce new options as needed. This ongoing maintenance enhances the credibility of your self-service offerings and preserves their effectiveness over time.

  9. Focus on user-friendliness and accessibility: Design your self-service interfaces with user-friendliness and accessibility in mind. Prioritize simplicity, straightforward navigation, and intuitive design elements. You want your tools to be compatible with as many devices as possible, including desktops, smartphones, and tablets. Consider incorporating accessibility features for users with visual or auditory impairments.

  10. Embrace continuous improvement and innovation: Last but not least, stay abreast of emerging trends in self-service technologies, including developments in the rapidly advancing worlds of artificial intelligence (AI), natural language processing (NLP), and chatbot enhancements. Explore opportunities to integrate these technologies into your existing solutions to provide even more unique, efficient, and engaging customer experiences.

In summary, successful customer self-service implementation requires a strategic, carefully phased approach. When done right, it can be a powerful tool for enhancing brand reputation and propelling business success.

Do you need a chatbot but are overwhelmed with the plethora of choices? Download our AI bot buyer’s guide to find the right chatbot for your support needs.

Use Intercom to implement customer self-service the right way

Are you ready to simultaneously empower your customers and increase your support team’s efficiency?

In that case, you’ll need a reliable ally — Intercom Customer Support software — by your side. Our multifaceted solution enables businesses like yours to seamlessly integrate self-service into their support operations.

With Intercom, you’ll get access to a myriad of features, including:

  • Comprehensive knowledge bases

  • Automation

  • Intelligent and customizable chatbots

  • Intuitive app embeds and integrations

  • Omnichannel support

  • Customizable FAQs and articles

  • Data-driven insights

It’s time to transform the way you interact with your customers. Book a demo or start a free trial to learn how your business can deliver experiences that will keep your customers satisfied, loyal, and eager to tell their friends about their exceptional experience with your brand. 

Source

1. Intercom. The Intercom Customer Service Trends Report 2023. We surveyed 1,700+ customer support teams across the world.

1. Forrester. US 2022 Customer Experience Index.

3. Higher Logic. An Exploratory Research Study: Customer Experience and Customer Self-Support.

4. SuperOffice. Based on a survey of 3,200 users across Europe.

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