Customer self-service enters the next phase - don’t get left behind
'My environments' and 'self-service platforms' are the places par excellence where the two developments come together: the increasing automation and digitisation of processes, and the ambition to nurture a better relationship with the customer. Both are popular trends in both B2C and B2B.
In recent years, we saw that the first generation of self-service environments were very transactional. "Do you want product X? Then you can check if we still have product X in stock and then you can order it and it will be delivered." We also saw many self-service environments that were not about the customer, but about the organisation itself - such as your personal data or order history at the organisation. All too often, these environments reflect the organisation’s processes. Simply offering information that was already available – for internal use – does not improve processes and deliver value for your customers.
Meanwhile, self-service is reaching a new stage of maturity and increasingly offering relevant, personalised experiences: "Hi Petra, we think you’ll choose product X based on your preferences and usage history."
Opportunity
Today, it’s service, not products that organisations use to distinguish themselves. Those who provide superior service over their competitor have structural access to a higher market share. Customer self-service will continue to play an important role. Customer expectations continue to rise. Excellent quality service and user experience are inextricably linked to this.
3 principles for successful customer self-service
1. Self-service is all about relevance, not the amount of information
You can bring together endless data streams in one integrated system, but does it also offer the customer what they need? Adding all available information from your organisation is not a priority. Functionality and relevance is.
2. The platform is task-oriented, not (only) documentation-oriented
Just giving access to order history is insufficiently relevant. But if you see that trend Y occurs in season X, you can advise your customers to purchase a product or service in time based on that insight.
3. The user is central, not the technology
The technology choice is not determined by what is already technically available. Organisational objectives and user needs are leading, not the system.