{"id":8615,"date":"2021-06-09T06:55:30","date_gmt":"2021-06-09T06:55:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/?p=8615"},"modified":"2025-03-05T17:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-03-05T17:09:28","slug":"customer-self-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpcrunch.com\/blog\/customer-self-service\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Customer Self-Service? Value, Benefits, Best Options"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

I prefer self-checkouts, mobile carsharing, and online shopping. Anytime I have a question, I google it first. Whereas my 50ish dad calls taxis via phone and goes for human cashiers or physical stores. When he has a question, he asks me to \u2018check it on the Internet.\u2019  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statistically, 70%<\/a> of over 45s prefer to speak to a human, compared to only 25% of younger respondents (18-24 year-olds). What has caused this generational shift in preferences? Why do we prefer customer self-service over human assistance? Let\u2019s leave it to anthropologists and behavioral scientists to decide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our job here is to help you improve the customer experience right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

What is customer self-service?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Customer self-service means that clients can find the information, get help, and receive service themselves without the aid of a human agent. This approach usually implies a wide range of tools – from a knowledge base to chatbots to how-to videos.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A self-service model is omnipresent in most consumer technology today \u2014 like streaming services, online scooter rental, self-checkouts in stores, or Google search engine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Putting customers in a driver\u2019s seat brings lots of benefits both to clients and businesses. While users are able to receive help on their own terms, your agents don\u2019t need to answer thousands of repetitive questions and provide 24\/7 human customer support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that customer self-service is a part of your overall customer service strategy. To craft this strategy, start by asking the question, ‘What does service mean to you?<\/a>‘ and answer it. Then you can arrange a few meetings with your team to ensure you’re all on the same page. Having a shared understanding of good customer service is imperative for establishing smooth customer service for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Benefits of customer self-service<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A survey conducted by Aspect in 2017 found that 39%<\/a> of respondents would prefer to clean their toilet rather than call a customer service phone line. It\u2019s a pretty telling piece of statistics. \u0421onsumers expect to be able to receive services or fix the issue immediately by themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With effective online customer self-service, brands can see a number of attractive benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Customer satisfaction.<\/strong> As a service industry trend<\/a>, self-service is considered a critical tool for customer retention. It helps your customers quickly find a solution and get timely assistance, which is crucial for customer satisfaction and retention. As per the Microsoft study, 90%<\/a> of their respondents say they expect brands and organizations to offer an online portal for self-service customer support. By giving clients exactly what they expect, you improve the satisfaction rate dramatically. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Increased sales.<\/strong> In turn, satisfied customers, those who had the best past experience with a company, tend to spend 140%<\/a> more and stick with the brand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reduced costs.<\/strong> Labor is the major expense when it comes to customer support. Today, the average salary of a call center employee in the US is estimated at around $13,27<\/a> per hour. The Harvard Business Review graph<\/a> perfectly illustrates how the cost per live contact has been rising since 2009.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Cost<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

By offering customer self-service options you can reduce labor costs while improving the overall client experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operational efficiency.<\/strong> About 45%<\/a> of executives who offer customer self-service options report a measurable decrease in phone inquiries, and 39% report less email traffic. When users are empowered to help themselves, the whole process goes smoothly and quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reps satisfaction and productivity.<\/strong> No one will enjoy answering the same question a thousand times, much less support agents. Customer service leaders report that 40%<\/a> of all tickets are mind-numbing and repetitive. Give your clients access to a website Help page, and you will see how the productivity and satisfaction rate of your employees goes up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rich customer profiles.<\/strong> While offering a customer self-service approach, you can learn more about your clients and what they are looking for. The HelpCrunch knowledge base software<\/a> allows you to keep track of the top-performing articles as well as failed searches. The later one lists the topics your customers are searching for to no result. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Best customer self-service options<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Knowledge base<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s the most cost-effective and easy-to-install tool for customer self-service. A knowledge base is a kind of library, a one-stop place to store all essential information about your product or service. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To create an effective knowledge base<\/a>, <\/p>\n\n\n\n