Digital Customer Self-Service Benefits

5 min read

Digital customer self-service is a growing trend in the business world, and for good reason. By allowing customers to select, purchase and manage their products and services online, businesses can reduce costs while also providing a more convenient experience for their customers. In this post, we'll explore the benefits of digital customer self-service for both businesses and their customers. We'll also look at some of the key features that make digital customer self-service so effective. Finally, we'll provide tips on how your business can get started with digital customer

What is customer self-service?

Customer self-service is a term used to describe any interaction a customer has with a business where they do not need to speak to a live representative. This can include anything from browsing products on a website to resolving their issue on their own through the knowledge base, to returning a product. Customers typically use self-service to find information, solve simple problems, or complete transactions.

It encompasses a broad range of channels, including the company website, social media, and mobile apps. The use of digital customer self-service has exploded in recent years, as companies have recognized its value in improving the customer experience.

Why self-service is in high demand right now

Self-service is in high demand right now because it offers a convenient and efficient customer experience. Customers appreciate the ability to take care of their own needs without having to wait on someone else. Plus, self-service options often provide more control and flexibility for customers. In fact, a study by Forrester found that 73% of customers prefer self-service to traditional customer service.

There are many reasons why self-service is in high demand. One reason is that consumers are busier than ever before and they don't have the time to wait in line or talk to a representative on the phone. In addition, self-service provides an opportunity for customers to help themselves and resolve their own issues when it is most convenient for them. This can save the company time and money, and it makes the customer feel appreciated.

Another reason for the popularity of self-service is that technology has made it easier than ever for customers to find the information they need.

Businesses that want to stay competitive should consider implementing self-service options. It's an investment that can pay off in terms of customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Benefits of digital customer self-service

There are a lot of reasons why providing customers with self-service is beneficial for both the company and the customer. We explore some of them below:

Digital customer Self-service is available 24/7

Digital customer self-service is a customer support channel that allows customers to solve their own problems without the need for human interaction. It is a form of customer support that is available 24/7, and it can be accessed through a variety of channels, such as the web, social media, or mobile devices.

Digital customer self-service is becoming increasingly popular because it is convenient for customers and it helps businesses save money. In fact, 60% of customers use online self-service content to find answers to their questions. Why? Because customers increasingly value convenience over money.  In addition, research has shown that digital customer self-service can improve customer satisfaction and reduce the number of customer complaints.

Digital customer self-service provides a higher speed to resolution

Today, customers want to solve their own problems without having to speak to a customer service representative. They want to find the information they need on their own, and they want to do it quickly. Digital self-service provides customers with fast solutions to often simple problems. Problems they don’t have the time to wait on hold for. It’s convenient and easy. 

In a study by Forrester, it was found that digital customer self-service can speed up problem resolution by up to 55%. Customers who use digital channels for service interactions also report higher satisfaction levels than those who don’t.

Saving time is a major factor for 58% of online shoppers when deciding whether to buy online. And according to Forrester, 73% say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide good online customer service.

Digital customer self-service improves the overall customer experience

Giving customers the ability to handle their own service inquiries through digital channels improves the customer experience. Customers are happier with the speed and convenience of self-service, and companies can save on the cost of providing customer service through call centers.

Self-service via digital channels can include a variety of methods, such as chatbots, online forms, and self-service portals. In each case, customers are able to find the answers to their questions without having to wait for a representative to become available. This improves customer satisfaction and reduces the number of time customers spend on customer service issues.

A study by Forrester Consulting found that digital customer self-service can improve customer satisfaction by up to 25%. In addition, it can also increase customer loyalty and reduce the cost of customer service inquiries. As a result, companies

Digital customer self-service reduces customer support costs

Offering digital customer self-service options can lead to a reduction in customer support costs. When customers are able to find the answers to their questions on their own, they are less likely to contact customer support for assistance. This can lead to significant cost savings for businesses.

In addition, self-service options improve customer satisfaction. Customers are more likely to be satisfied with their experience when they are able to find the answers to their questions without having to contact customer support. This can lead to increased loyalty and referrals from customers.

A study by Forrester found that organizations that offered digital customer self-service saw a reduction in annual customer support costs of up to $10 million.

Digital customer self-service improves agent productivity, morale, and job satisfaction

Digital customer self-service can play a critical role in improving the customer experience and, ultimately, organizational performance. When done well, it can help organizations reduce costs, improve agent productivity and morale, and even improve job satisfaction.

Self-service portals provide digital support channels that empower customers to help themselves. They are designed to reduce the number of contacts agents have to handle and improve customer satisfaction.

A recent study by Aspect Software surveyed more than 1,000 customer service professionals in the U.S., U.K., and Australia and found that:

  • 82% of customer service professionals said that self-service portals improve agent productivity
  • 78% of customer service professionals said that it improves their job satisfaction

When digital self-service experiences can answer basic questions, your agents can devote their time and attention to high-value interactions. They can spend extra time with at-risk customers and resolve complex questions for customers who are struggling with something. This also increases agent employee job satisfaction because they no longer spend half their days reading balance information and other data off-screen. Higher satisfaction means lower turnover, which will improve your ability to resolve complex client queries in the future and reduce employee recruitment costs. 

So, how can your business provide digital customer self-service?

As technology has become an increasingly important part of our lives, so too has the desire for customer service organizations to provide digital self-service to their customers. This shift is due, in part, to the proliferation of mobile devices and apps that have given customers more options for how they want to interact with businesses. In this blog post, we will discuss the benefits that organizations can reap from providing digital self-service to their customers, as well as some tips for how to go about implementing it.

1. Start by Adding a Knowledge Base

One of the best ways to increase your productivity as an entrepreneur is to start by adding a knowledge base. A good knowledge base will provide you with easy access to the information you need when you need it. This can include articles, tutorials, how-to guides, and more. When you have easy access to the information you need, it will be easier for you to get work done and avoid distractions.

Numerous surveys have shown that the majority of customer support issues are resolved by agents using knowledge bases. A well-stocked and organized knowledge base is the key to an effective self-service support strategy. The purpose of a KB is to provide your customers with the answers they need without having to contact support. When creating or populating your KB, keep these things in mind:

  • The content must be accurate and up-to-date
  • The layout must be easy to navigate
  • There should be an obvious way to contact the organization if customers need additional help

2. Provide automation features

Self-service is a critical piece of the customer service puzzle, but it can be difficult to provide a great customer experience if you have to rely on manual processes. That's where automation comes in. Automation can help you provide a fast and easy self-service experience for your customers while freeing up your team to focus on higher-value tasks.

There are many different ways to automate customer self-service. You can automate tasks like account creation and password resets, or you can use automation to provide guided assistance through complex processes.

3. Focus on the most common and high volume customer issues

The majority of the customer call your company gets are likely around common, often preventable issues. By focusing self-service on these specific customer service issues, you can resolve them quickly and efficiently, improving customer satisfaction and loyalty in the process. Additionally, by addressing the most common customer service issues through self-service, you free up your team to address more complex concerns that may require more time and effort.

Most businesses have a finite amount of resources to spend on customer service. As such, it's important to focus on the areas that are most impactful to the customer and generate the most volume of support inquiries. This could mean dedicating more time and energy to resolving common issues, developing processes that are more efficient, or automating solutions where possible. It's also important to make sure that customer service is effectively communicating these solutions to customers in order for them to be able to resolve any issues as quickly as possible.

4. Make use of content that you already have

One of the easiest ways to get content for your self-service is to make use of the content that you have already created. This can include posts that you have published on other websites, product documentation or articles that you have written for other purposes, or even just material that you have gathered from research. You may also want to add new content in order to close any content gaps you might have.

Conclusion

Digital customer self-service delivers a high degree of customer satisfaction while freeing up your customer service team to handle more complex issues. According to a study by Forrester, customers who use digital channels for customer service interactions are three times more likely to be satisfied with the outcome than those who use traditional contact centers.

Additionally, self-service solutions improve first contact resolution rates and reduce the amount of time and money spent on customer support. In fact, a study by Aberdeen Group found that companies that automate their customer service processes can achieve a cost savings of up to $5 per interaction.

Digital customer self-service can provide a number of benefits for companies and their customers alike. When companies provide their customers with the ability to handle their own account management and transactions, it frees up customer service representatives to provide more personalized service. In addition, it can help to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty, as customers appreciate the ability to take care of business on their own schedule and in their own way. Finally, self-service can also lead to increased revenue for companies, as customers are more likely to make larger or more frequent purchases when they have a positive experience with digital customer service.

Self-service is becoming an increasingly important aspect of the customer experience. In this article, we looked at some of the benefits of digital customer self-service. We also provided a few tips on how to make the most of this approach. To learn more about this topic, keep reading our blog.

David Hayden
Software entrepreneur who enjoys building products that empower business people to create and evolve enterprise applications without code.

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