Companies that want to benefit from self-service should start off by identifying the most regular high volume service interactions and by understanding which of these can be moved across to automated electronic channels, says John Ziniades, CEO of Consology.
"Most companies acknowledge that self-service offers them a host of cost and productivity benefits, and that it is something that many of their clients demand," he explains. "Yet they often do not know where to start with the introduction of self-service channels into their businesses.
"Companies around the world realise they can achieve massive cost-savings by allowing customers to handle basic transactions and administrative tasks themselves using self-service. Customers, meanwhile, enjoy the convenience and functionality of a well-designed self-service system.
"Rather than needing to call a contact centre for a reprint of a bill, or queuing at a bank to file an application form, most customers would prefer to do it themselves through a Web site or kiosk. The right place for a company to start with a self-service project is to look at the routine, high-volume transactions that are an unnecessary chore for their customers and an administrative burden for their organisations.
"Routine queries and transactions, such as requests for a bill to be faxed, change of address or balance enquires, account for a staggering amount of an agents' time in any call centre and a significant part of any business's administrative overhead," notes Ziniades. "These are the sort of transactions that customers can easily carry out themselves through an automated self-service system."
He believes that once an organisation has decided which transactions are suitable for self-service, the next step is to consider which channels it will use. "The options include interactive voice response units, mobile phones (via the mobile Web or SMS), interactive kiosks, and Web-based systems.
"Factors you need to take into account include the interface you can offer using these channels - transactions such as long application forms are not suitable for mobile phones, for example - as well as the technology that your audience has access to. If you're targeting low-income customers, then kiosks and cellphones are currently preferable channels."
Managing change
It is also important to remember that a change management programme must be in place to encourage customers to change their habits away from face-to-face and telephonic interactions towards using self-service systems, he explains. "For younger and more tech-savvy customers, the convenience of self-service might be enough of a hook, but others more fearful of change might need other incentives, like discounts or lower transaction costs."
Customers should not be "thrown in at the deep-end" without any support or training, he states. "An organisation embarking on a self-service project should market the concept to customers, outlining how they should use self-service options and what the benefits will be for them.
"One should also have some form of support in place for customers who are new to your self-service options: call centre agents to talk them through the processes, detailed FAQs on your Web site, or staff at your kiosks to demo the functionality to customers."
Awareness is key
Many organisations also fail to make customers aware that self-service options exist and then wonder why no one uses them. "Once the self-service system is in place, the company that implemented it should not become complacent. A successful self-service system will change customers' expectations and lead them to expect the convenience of self-service across more transactions, channels and areas of the business," Ziniades explains.
"The richer the functionality of the self-service system, the more interested customers will be in using it, and the more benefit it will deliver to the business. Many South African organisations start out strong with self-service projects, but then allow marketing of their offerings to falter and let the functionality stagnate."
Concludes Ziniades: "Customer self-service is a proven concept that is helping companies around the world to drive down customer support costs, improve customer loyalty, personalise customer service, and cross- and up-sell a range of complex products.
"Few organisations can afford to ignore the concept. Those that have yet to embark on a self-service strategy should be looking for the opportunities the concept offers them to drive down operational costs while improving customer satisfaction."
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