20 Tips to Simplify Your Self-Service Strategy

Our panel share their best advice on Simplifying Your Self-Service Strategy

1. Make All Areas of Your Business Aware of Self-Serve Options

Ensure all areas of your business are aligned and aware of self-serve options, not just customer service/call centre staff. Check letters across the business are consistent and promote the right channel.

Thanks to Rachael

2. Help and Educate the Customer

We make it part of our standard QA that call centre staff help the customer and also educate the customer on how they can do this themselves the next time if applicable.

Thanks to Heather

3. Don’t Hide Alternative Contact Options

Even though you want customers to self-serve, don’t hide alternative contact options from them. If they can’t find an answer, and can’t easily find how to contact you, they’re more likely to go somewhere who WILL help!

Thanks to AlexU

4. Upskill Your Team

Upskill your teams in what the self-service options look/feel like – this’ll help them to promote it more effectively to customers for future issues they might have.

Thanks to AlexU

 5. Create Self-Serve Champions

Use some of your existing teams to be self-serve champions. Involve them in the roll-out of self-serve options and use them to drive momentum on the shop floor.

Thanks to Rachael

6. Get Your Customers Involved

Speak to your customers and get them involved in the development of the self-serve portal to ensure it is user friendly and meets their needs.

Thanks to Julie

7. Listen to Your Customers

Listen to your customers and what they want to make sure you get their insight into self serve and how appropriate your options are.

Thanks to Mark

8. Test Ideas on Select Customers

We have a pool of customers that we test our new ideas on before rolling out.

Thanks to Ghazala

9. Expect Your Call Conversation Topics to Be Different

Don’t expect your call volumes to drop with self-serve, rather expect your call conversation topics with customers/residents to be different.

Thanks to Tim

10. Create Your Own Messaging

We stopped using the generic loop music/messaging that all our state agencies use. Our application allowed us to create our own messaging, so we push those alternative methods on that loop.

If the customer is on hold, they will also be informed, as a captive audience, of the options available that don’t involve holding on the line for an agent.

Thanks to Michael

11. Use Language Your Customers Understand

Use language your customers understand. Don’t use in-house jargon. Simplify pages so they look inviting.

Thanks to Rachael

12. Share the Waiting Time on Your IVR

We announce the waiting time on our IVR when it is too high and promote the app and web to get the service required.

Thanks to Cindy

13. Use QR Codes for Self-Service Areas

Add QR codes to paper communication for links to things like self-serve areas, seamlessly driving customers online for both self-serve and digital comms like chat.

Thanks to AlexU

14. Self Serve Should Not Be Used as a Be All End All

Self-serve is quick and useful, but should not be used as an end in itself.

Thanks to Taryn

15. Assess Self-Service Effectiveness

Assess self-service effectiveness. Don’t just keep rolling out new systems. Check contact volumes to see if it has had the desired effect. If not, correct it and implement the learning.

Thanks to Rachael

16. Use Macros in Your Emails

We use macros in our emails to ensure a consistent message for the customer. These often have links, videos, attachments and instructions on how to self-serve before they need to come through further. This then gives the human effect of an email but also a quick and efficient way to do it.

Thanks to Amy

17. Use AI to Listen to Calls and Identify Issues

Even at a simple level the AI can listen to every call and help inform the leadership team on what are the issues and so what is best to automate.

Thanks to James

18. Don’t Push Self-Service

I do agree with self-serve and we need to ensure that our agents are helping our customers to this, but also, I don’t believe in always pushing it. In our business agents are still very much available for those customers who can’t self-serve or don’t want to.

There is nothing worse than an automated service or not being able to find your answer – this is only going to infuriate the customer.

Thanks to Amy

19. Keep a “Talk to An Agent” Option Always Available

Keep a “talk to an agent” option always available regardless of what self-serve channel the customer is using.

Thanks to Jaime

20. The Problem With Self-Service

A lot of the problem with self-service is that control often lies outside the business team and so managing and updating is slow.

Thanks to James

These tips were first discussed in our 2022 webinar ‘Simplify Your Self-Service Strategy’

More articles on self-service can be found here

• Self-Service Design – How to Create the Best Possible Experience
• 12 Ideas to Improve Customer Self-Service Take-Up
• The Do’s and Don’ts of Digital Self-Service