Top 6 Customer Self-Service Best Practices

Customer self-service best practices, such as the use of virtual assistants and omnichannel access, can reduce call centre wait times and improve overall CX.

When organizations empower customers to resolve their queries on their own with self-service technology, they can improve CX and increase sales.

Voice channels will continue to be present and, according to Metrigy, they will continue to be the second channel of interaction after email. However, many users prefer to manage their queries by themselves or with the help of virtual assistants.

To improve CX, contact centre leaders can implement customer self-service best practices, such as updating knowledge bases, using virtual assistants, and embracing omnichannel capabilities. In fact, self-service knowledge bases can improve user ratings, increase sales, and boost agent productivity, according to Metrigy’s “Customer Engagement Transformation: 2022-23” study.

How Can CX Leaders Optimize Customer Self-Service Performance?

1) Updating the Knowledge Base

All self-service strategies rely on a knowledge base. However, most organizations do not continually update the content, search, and media types in these databases.

Before customer service leaders implement or expand their self-service strategies, they need to consolidate, modernize, and update their knowledge bases to provide a solid foundation for customer service.

2) Identifying Common Customer Queries

Certain inquiries, such as return policy questions, lend themselves to self-service more effectively than others. CX, IT and business leaders need to discuss the types of inquiries and questions customers may have and decide which channel of interaction would be best for each point.

For example, if customers regularly “pepper” an organization’s contact centre with questions about the company’s return policy, the CX team could create an FAQ page that clearly explains the policy and then direct them to that page when ask the question.

3) Using Virtual Assistants to Direct Customers

When customers access a self-service channel (an organization’s website, mobile app, or FAQ portal), they want to obtain information, resolve a query, or perform an issue. In these cases, a pop-up virtual assistant can ask a few simple questions to guide customers down the right path to self-service or route the conversation to a live agent. In any case, virtual assistants can offer them what they need at all times and keep satisfaction rates and technology functionality high.

4) Offering Omnichannel Capabilities

Often, when customers access self-service channels, they must move to other channels to resolve their issues. For example, users can start their self-service journeys on a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page, and then move to a screen-sharing live agent chat.

If customer service leaders don’t integrate self-service channels, this lack of cohesion can frustrate customers, as they have to repeat their inquiry over and over again. This fact also creates frustration for agents who don’t have a full view of customer interactions, making it difficult to resolve queries.

Only 21.4% of call centres have omnichannel capabilities, according to the Metrigy study. However, omnichannel improves customer (CX) and employee experiences by allowing agents to track agent interactions across channels.

5) Embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Technologies

Customer service leaders need to regularly update their knowledge bases to provide customers with the most up-to-date information about the company, products, and services. As a result, many organizations use AI and machine learning (ML) to identify areas that need to automate regular content updates.

6) Measuring Success

After customer service leaders have implemented a self-service strategy, they need to measure its success to determine if objectives have been met. Customer satisfaction scores and revenue increases can indicate the success or failure of the self-service strategy. If results don’t meet CX leaders’ expectations, the team can work to improve performance and create a better customer self-service strategy.