Perhaps, it all started in 1822 in London with the first vending machine: a coin-operated dispenser of envelopes, postcards, and notepaper. Since then, vending machines have evolved and new types of self-service use cases emerged—petrol pumps, supermarket checkouts, and check-in kiosks at airports and GPs to name a few.
2020, of course, changed everything. All customers, regardless of age, became digital natives overnight. And self-service went from a novelty to a necessity. As such, expectations around digital channels and instant gratification accelerated.
The self-service disconnect – customer vs. brand
Research commissioned by NICE earlier this year, found that almost half (45 per cent) of customers are more likely to use self-service than before 2020. Sadly, businesses haven’t yet caught up with this major consumer shift with only one in ten prioritising smarter self-service as part of their CCaaS portfolios going forward.
In response, customers are going directly to the source: online search. In many ways, Google has become the universal contact centre. Our research uncovered that 46 per cent of consumers conduct a Google search as their first attempt at solving a product or service issue. Yet, just 15 per cent of the businesses surveyed believed Google to be the first-choice resource for issue resolution. A critical misperception at play.
Getting smarter about self-service
While consumers clearly want more self-service, it must be smart. The successful digital transformation of self-serve taxi and takeaway ordering has upped expectations dramatically. Instant is the new baseline. But most businesses are not measuring up.
According to our research, just 15 per cent of consumers are very satisfied with the self-service options offered today. Businesses sadly missed the mark on this, projecting that over half (53 per cent) of customers are happy with their self-service tools.
Smarter self-service isn’t rocket science. It is providing consumers with the ability to digitally self-address more complex tasks. But to achieve this, businesses must empower it with advanced artificial intelligence and data-driven technology.
The opportunity for channel partners
The seemingly simple ask for smarter self-service is made complex by omnichannel – or at least the reality of omnichannel for businesses today.
Once thought to be the magic solution to modern consumer needs, omnichannel has become an innovation roadblock for many businesses. Despite being cloud-based, the complexity of managing omnichannel solutions across multiple vendors, digital channels and departments has created an even more siloed approach. Compounding this is the idea that the contact centre and digital customer experience are separate operations and flows within the business – and should be treated as such. In a digital world, where customer expectations are higher than ever, this is adding friction and holding back innovation. But herein lies the opportunity for our channel partners.
Channel partners can enable businesses to embrace the self-service revolution by developing innovative, digital CX offerings that are powered by proactive conversational AI.
It is no longer about waiting for consumers to contact the call and contact centre. Instead, partner CX offerings must allow for businesses to proactively meet customers in their channels of choice – even if that is search – and pre-empt their needs before they reach out for service. It must also equip agents with the intel to initiate customer engagement, when needed, to resolve a need while adding value. This helps solve something that is inconceivable in the reactive customer service dynamic we see so many businesses struggling with today.
The future is digital
As a culture, our digital self-service preference is more than a passing fad. It’s a behavioural sea change. That means it’s time for channel partners – and as a result businesses – to better align self-service strategies and offerings with customer expectations. Digital is here to stay, and consumers have spoken. Listening is no longer an option. It’s a necessity.