Customer self service: What it is and how to implement it

Customer self-service refers to the tools and platforms that enable customers to independently access information, resolve issues, and complete tasks without needing direct assistance from a customer service representative. This can include a range of tools such as FAQs, chatbots, and online communities. By empowering customers to find answers and solve problems on their own, self-service not only enhances the customer experience by offering convenience and immediacy but also helps businesses streamline their support operations and reduce costs.

Here’s a more in-depth look at how customer self-service can be beneficial for both businesses and customers:

How self-service benefits your customers

• Improved customer satisfaction: Self-service empowers customers by giving them the tools to quickly find solutions independently, leading to higher satisfaction and a stronger sense of ownership over their experience.

• 24/7 availability and access to information: Self-service tools like customer knowledge bases and chatbots ensure that customers can access support and information at any time, catering to their needs regardless of time zones or business hours.

• Preferred service flexibility: Self-service options enable customers to choose how they interact with a company, whether through automated tools or direct contact.

• Reduced wait times: Self-service significantly reduces the time customers spend waiting for support, as they can quickly resolve issues on their own without needing queue for a representative.

• Consistent customer experience: With self-service, customers receive consistent information across all interactions, as the resources are standardized and continuously updated to reflect the latest data and solutions.

How self-service benefits your organization

• Reduced volume of inquiries: Self-service options handle many routine inquiries, alleviating the load on customer support teams and reducing the overall volume of incoming tickets and calls that can lead to burnout over time.

• Lower operational costs: By minimizing the need for large support staff and automating common queries, businesses can significantly lower operational costs while maintaining high-quality service.

• Improved agent efficiency: With fewer routine tasks, customer support agents can focus on more complex issues.

• Scalable and adaptable solution: Self-service platforms can be quickly scaled to accommodate growing customer bases and easily updated to address new products, services, or issues, making them a flexible solution for businesses of all sizes.

Online communities and knowledge bases

Online communities and knowledge bases serve as hubs where customers can access a wealth of information and engage with both the brand and other users. These platforms allow customers to search for answers, view how-to guides, and participate in discussions, making them a valuable resource for problem-solving and learning. For businesses, online communities reduce the volume of direct support inquiries and foster a sense of community and brand loyalty by connecting users with similar interests and challenges. 

For example, AGL — a leading energy supplier and essential services retailer — leverages Khoros Communities to provide an online space where customers can ask questions, search for answers on their own, and share their knowledge in community discussions.

AI-powered Chatbots

Chatbots are AI-driven tools that interact with customers in real-time, providing instant answers to common questions. They are highly effective in handling routine inquiries, guiding customers through processes, and even troubleshooting basic issues. Chatbots are a great option for businesses looking to offer immediate support without human intervention, especially for high-volume customer interactions. 

A great example is the Khoros Bot — a fully customizable chatbot that utilizes natural language processing to understand customer intent, sentiment, and context to respond, route, and prioritize inquiries for agents appropriately.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) sections are a staple of customer self-service, offering quick access to answers for the most common customer queries. By organizing these questions in a clear, easy-to-navigate format, businesses can provide customers with instant solutions, reducing the need for direct contact with support teams.

FAQs are handy for addressing basic questions about products, services, or company policies, such as, “What is your return policy?”. It’s important to keep your FAQs up to date with new questions from increased inquiries around a certain topic or if there’s a new product launch.

Many well-known brands have a dedicated FAQ section on their website or in their online community, like Shopify.

Automated call center

Automating your call center is another self-service option brands can employ to deflect high call volumes. Both AI and interactive voice response (IVR) systems can be utilized to allow customers to navigate through menus and access information or perform actions without speaking to a live agent. IVR systems can handle a variety of tasks, such as providing account information, processing payments, or routing calls to the appropriate department based on the customer's input.

Self-service portals

Self-service portals provide customers with a centralized platform to manage their accounts, track orders, update personal information, and access relevant resources. These portals empower customers to take control of their interactions with the brand, offering convenience and reducing the need for direct support. They are especially beneficial for businesses with complex service offerings, allowing customers to manage their relationship with the company independently.

1. Assess customer needs

Before implementing self-service tools, it’s crucial to understand what your customers need and expect. Gathering and analyzing feedback through surveys, support tickets, and direct interactions will help identify common pain points and preferred methods of interaction, ensuring that the self-service options you provide align with customer expectations.

2. Choose the right self-service tools

Selecting the right self-service tools is essential to the success of your implementation. Consider factors such as ease of use, integration capabilities, and scalability. The tools you choose should address the specific needs identified in the previous step and be capable of growing your business and customer base. Implementing multiple self-service tools such as an online community with an FAQ and chatbot to help automate your digital contact center.

3. Develop and organize content

Creating clear, concise, and comprehensive content is vital for effective self-service. This includes developing a robust knowledge base, detailed FAQs, and other resources that customers can easily navigate. Organize the content logically and regularly update it to reflect the latest information.

4. Train and educate your team

Even with self-service tools in place, your team plays a critical role in supporting and promoting these resources. Ensure that your support staff is well-trained in using and assisting customers with these tools and that they can guide customers to self-service options when appropriate, enhancing the overall customer experience.

5. Track progress and optimize as needed

After implementation, it’s important to monitor the performance of your self-service tools through analytics. Track customer service metrics such as usage rates, resolution times, and customer satisfaction to assess effectiveness. Use this data to make informed decisions about updates and improvements, ensuring your self-service system remains effective and user-friendly.

1. Regularly update resources: Regularly refresh your self-service resources to ensure accuracy and relevance, addressing any new issues or product changes.

2. Ask for customer feedback: Gather customer insights directly to identify gaps and continuously improve the self-service experience.

3. Prioritize easy access: Ensure that self-service tools are simple to find and use, with intuitive navigation and prominent placement on your site.

4. Leverage AI: Through advanced algorithms, AI can analyze customer behavior and provide tailored recommendations or solutions, making self-service more intuitive and effective.

5. Integrate across customer service channels: To provide a consistent experience, consider utilizing self-service across all your service channels such as community, social media, phone calls, and sms.

6. Make it user-friendly: Design user-friendly self-service interfaces, making it easy for customers to find the information they need quickly.

7. Always provide an opt-out: Some users may still struggle to find the answer they need or prefer to speak with a human agent, so it’s wise to always provide an option for the customer to escalate the issue or accommodate their preferences.

Khoros offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to enhance your customer self-service across all touchpoints. From our online communities to our digital contact center with customizable chatbots and AI-driven responses for customer inquiries, you can provide customers with a knowledge base for quickly finding the information they need. Khoros’s AI and automation command center also allows you to manage customer interactions across any channel or team, providing a seamless and efficient experience.

To see how Khoros can transform your customer self-service strategy, request a demo today.