Research has repeatedly indicated the pivotal role of self-service in CX, as it empowers the customer and dramatically shrinks time to query resolution.
According to Salesforce, 59% of consumers cite self-service as a key determining factor for brand loyalty. HubSpot found that customers expect de facto self-service options, in addition to a live help desk for more complex issues. So, it makes sense to augment your broader customer helpdesk strategy with a self-service component – gaining the myriad advanced technologies available today.
- Narrow down your helpdesk requirements and identify self-service use cases
A lot of the queries customers generally bring to your helpdesk can be resolved without any human intervention. For example, you don’t need a live agent to look up shipment slots and reschedule delivery. Similarly, customers shouldn’t be calling your contact centre to track the status of a previous complaint service ticket. An analysis of helpdesk queries will reveal the most high-volume issues that can be resolved through self-service.
- Start with an exhaustive and search-friendly knowledge base
An online knowledge base that is interactive, properly categorised, and SEO-optimised can do wonders for self-service adoption. Most service requests somewhere originate as a Google query, and an online knowledge base can readily furnish answers to your most common customers queries. Make sure to update the portal regularly with new information. Cross-link web pages so that it is easy to navigate without leading customers down a blind alley. And, use analytics to pinpoint low engagement pages or points where the customer is at high risk of drop-off.
- Cultivate a community of users
User communities can take a lot of time and investment, but could significantly reduce your contact centre workloads in the long term. You can create online discussion threads for common queries, assigning a dedicated contact centre agent to respond to the queries that gain the most traction. For large enterprises, working with a dedicated platform for this purpose – like UserVoice – is also a good idea.
- Provide options to raise service tickets
This is what converts a self-service portal from just another FAQ or documentation site to a genuine online helpdesk. The customer must be able to raise a service ticket, explaining their complaint, grievance or query, complete with contact details where you would reach out or follow up. Importantly, service tickets should have as short a turnaround time as possible so there’s no disconnect between the CX quality on your online self-service helpdesk and the contact centre.
- Optimise self-service for mobile
A large portion of your customer base will turn to their mobile devices for self-service, as this is a point on the customer journey when the grievance is yet to mature and there is no real frustration that merits a lengthy call to the contact centre. A mobile-optimised self-service portal will help to satisfy these “casual queries” and maintain optimal CX.
Finally, ensure that the self-service portal is integrated with your other customer servicing systems, including CRM, the contact centre, and marketing automation. This brings self-service helpdesks into the ambit of omni-channel customer experiences, enhancing your overall CX capabilities.
