Self-service is officially here to stay. Around 78% of leaders in the US say they’re investing more in self-service today, as customers demand more freedom to troubleshoot issues and complete tasks without agent intervention.
Moreover, companies innovating on the front line of the self-service revolution are also experiencing significant benefits. Teams can reduce ticket volume by around 27% using self-service and AI chatbots. These tools also allow companies to empower and delight their customers, resolving problems faster than they would with traditional communication channels alone.
However, like most things in the CX world, self-service technology solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all. Here’s what you need to know to choose the perfect vendor in 2022.
Step 1: Know Your Audience
First, you’ll need to decide who you want to support with your self-service technology. Customers are the most obvious place to start. However, before you can start implementing tools for your target audience, you’ll need to consider the kind of solutions they expect.
Are you working with a range of B2B clients who expect to be able to log into a branded customer portal, issue support tickets, track requests, and troubleshoot problems? Or are you assisting a consumer base more likely to be happy with FAQ articles and chatbots to help them find answers to common questions?
Once you’ve assessed your customers, don’t forget to consider the benefits of self-service for your employees. Team members can also benefit from self-service tools, particularly in today’s hybrid and remote work world. Self-service tools and troubleshooting apps will help your employees to stay productive when IT teams aren’t available to offer assistance.
Step 2: Prioritise Integrations
Self-service solutions work best when they’re an integrated part of your existing CX strategy. 76% of companies experience phenomenal benefits from implementing self-service tools, like NPS score increases and improved first call resolution. However, they’d struggle to get the right results with siloed tools. With that in mind, ask yourself what you need your self-service systems to work with.
Can you access self-service functionality in your existing CCaaS environment or as part of your CRM deployment? If not, are API connectors and integrators available to help align your various tools? Remember, an integrated environment will also make tracking important information about your customer’s journey easier.
The more connected your service solutions and tools, the easier it will be to understand which problems your customers regularly face and how you can help them.
Step 3: Decide on the Self-Service Options You Need
These days, self-service technology comes in a variety of flavours. The simplest options start with FAQ pages, community sites, and knowledgebase environments, where people can find videos, blogs, and guides to help them address their problems in the digital world. There are more advanced options for companies willing to invest a little more into self-service technology.
For instance, you might want to build a custom chatbot capable of searching through your knowledgebase on your customer’s behalf and delivering answers to questions defined by certain keywords. You could also look into more advanced AI automation tools, like virtual assistants with natural language processing abilities to understand the human voice.
More comprehensive self-service offerings can also allow business leaders to design secure portals for users to access when they need to access onboarding and training sessions, track service tickets, and perform various other simple tasks.