Effortless Self-Service

Technology changes at a rapid pace, and as it evolves it changes the way that customers communicate with companies. Easier access to needed information has increased consumer’s customer service expectations. Customers not only expect high-quality customer service, they demand it, and higher customer demands make effortless customer service as essential to a business’ success as creating a personal connection.

Effortless customer service allows customers to find the answers to questions and resolve problems on their own through the use of mobile applications and Web-based self-service options. This doesn’t mean that people no longer want or need companies to focus on small customer service details designed to improve the relationship between the consumer and the company. It means customers want the option to resolve issues and find answers to questions quickly without speaking to someone over the phone.

One of the easiest ways for companies to implement a Web-based self-service portal is to allow customers to create their own virtual accounts. This allows your customers to access their account information online, pay bills, make purchases and track orders. In addition to creating individual customer accounts, many companies also add a Frequently Asked Questions section to their website, along with a Help portal that allows customers to type in their question to find the answer they need. Some companies also have customer service departments devoted to answering customers’ questions via online chat.

Web-based effortless self-service channels and Help portals help customers get answers and resolve problems quickly, and help to relieve excess customer service costs for companies. However, the popularity of mobile devices changes the game even more. In 2014, the total number of website users who accessed the websites they needed via a mobile device exceeded the number of website users who accessed needed websites via computer, according to Impact Learning. In order to provide the high-quality online customer service that customers demand, your company’s website needs to transition seamlessly across all devices.

According to Forrester’s 2013 Customer Experience Online Survey, 52 percent of customers will abandon an online purchase if they can’t find a quick answer to their questions. If your customers can’t find information they need quickly, without much effort, they will purchase the items from another online retailer. So, in addition to needing a mobile-ready website, your company needs to ensure that your customers can reach you across multiple communication channels, such as phone, email, live chat and social media.

The fact is, exceptional customer service is imperative to your company’s success. As consumer demands increase, the harder it becomes to meet the customers’ customer service expectations. Fortunately, by ensuring that your company’s website is mobile-ready, that your customers have access to their own account information and that your customers can contact your company using any communication method they choose through effortless self-service channels, it’s easy to achieve a reputation for having impeccable customer service.

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