As always, the new year brings a whole host of predictions, developments, and trends that have the potential to shake up the CX landscape.
The growth of cloud contact center solutions, the greater focus on omnichannel communications, and the expansion of the definition and role of ‘contact center agents’
are just a few of the prominent trends that are shaping the CX industry as we speak.
Among these trends is one that, while not relatively new, could offer unmatched efficiency, functionality, and savings from contact center operations for businesses—which is self-service contact centers.
What exactly are self-service contact center functions?
As the name suggests, no longer will your agents have to go through the trouble of having their time online occupied in resolving relatively menial issues, you are handing that power to your customer!
Not only is this a massive weight off your shoulders, but it’s also a much more convenient and efficient way for your customers to swiftly resolve issues and easily access the information they need themselves.
This is the core of a self-service contact center, it aims to improve convenience for both you and the customer by minimizing the need for live agent support for the simplest of tasks.
This will also have compounding benefits like faster query resolutions through improved access to information, and higher customer satisfaction and loyalty derived from the speed of service and the empowerment factor alongside near-unmatched efficiency and availability.
When you discern what exactly self-service contact centers can do for you, it’s no surprise that they are becoming as popular as they are—especially in today’s highly competitive landscape where every business is vying for loyalty and repeat business from their customers.
What about personalization?
One of the most common expectations of a customer when they engage with your contact center (apart from resolving their issue quickly, of course) is personalization. This is becoming an increasingly important aspect as competition grows fiercer.
So wouldn’t self-service mean this personalization factor is lost? Not necessarily.
Self-service contact center solutions generally offer plenty of options for personalization through features like targeted content offers and recommendations. While this may not provide the same level of personalization as a human agent, contact centers can still maintain a sufficient degree of personalization with these features.
What should you keep in mind when implementing a self-service contact center?
If you are considering venturing into the self-service ecosystem with your contact center, there are a couple of key things you should keep in mind.
First things first, self-service is about empowerment and convenience, not simply cost-cutting. The solutions you implement must empower your customers to resolve their issues themselves, and it should never be a chore for them. Always keep in mind that while self-service certainly does offer cost benefits, that is not the end goal here.
Identify the right scenarios for self-service. Not every interaction and customer correspondence can be resolved with an automated system that enables customers to access information and find solutions.
Certain scenarios will require the intervention of your agents, who can use their specialist knowledge and experience to assist your customers. Therefore, identifying these situations is crucial for a seamless contact center experience.
Self-service might not be the next big thing, but it’s certainly big enough to be on your to-do list
There’s plenty of talk going on about optimizing contact centers in various ways as we enter yet another year of development, discovery, and innovation. With trends such as CCaaS migration, omnichannel communications, and agent-assist applications taking center stage, developments such as self-service contact centers should not be left by the wayside.
If you are looking for ways to improve customer satisfaction, streamline the customer experience, and drive loyalty, self-service just might be the next big thing for contact center operations in your business.