Under what conditions does self-service make sense in technical customer service and how do I successfully implement projects? Take the statistically valid self-test here and find out whether your company is ready for it!
Can it really be that simple: You just put your feet up while customers solve their problems themselves using the support page or app? Similar ideas drive most Service Manager when they think about implementing self-service tools. However, it takes a lot of preparatory work and ongoing effort to implement such concepts profitably.
Unfortunately, self-service is often only implemented half-heartedly
Self-service solutions are very much in vogue. They promise greater efficiency and therefore lower costs. The idea is tempting: customers should help themselves as often as possible before calling on one of your employees. After all, the best problems are those that solve themselves.
A well thought out Sales strategy is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of self-service solutions in after-sales.
However, not all companies implement self-service really well. It is often the case that concepts are only implemented half-heartedly or are abandoned even before they are introduced. This can quickly turn a self-service solution into a self-service problem.
Namely when it is not accepted by the customer and employees still need capacity to keep it alive. The consequences can be a drop in customer satisfaction and frustration among your own employees.
The necessary requirements for a successful self-service solution
We will not go into the technical approaches that are available in abundance on the market here. This topic has already been widely discussed elsewhere and every provider likes to push their own solution. At the end of the day, the technical implementation is not the deciding factor in the war.
It is more important to set up your department in such a way that the sustainable supply of data is guaranteed and the system can therefore work effectively in the long term. It is also necessary throughout the entire planning process, not to neglect the customer's point of view. There is no point in implementing a concept that is supposed to bring your company a major efficiency advantage but is not accepted by your customers. Even the smallest adversity can lead to the customer picking up the phone again and asking for an employee.
The customer will not help you to make your self-service strategy a success. It must be set up in such a way that it also offers him added value!
6 Prerequisites for the profitable implementation of self-service
1. top management attention
A self-service concept is not implemented overnight. Its introduction often means a massive intervention in the customer interface. This changes the customer's perception of the company and naturally also means that considerable investments have to be made.
It is therefore important, to be sure of the full support of top management. The project must be given the necessary priority. Sufficient time and financial resources are needed to set up the project in a sensible and sustainable way. This is only possible if the management has enough stamina to ensure that the project does not die before it has proven its worth.
2. customer value
Already mentioned and all the more important: The acceptance of the customer should exist for your measure. Offer them added value and COMMUNICATE You do too! Such measures are often presented to the customer as follows: "Dear customer, we will now change our system, but at the same time we assure you that this will not result in any disadvantages for you". Don't do that!
You can be sure that the customer will now pay particular attention to any disadvantages. This is actually obvious. However, there are always companies that get themselves into a lot of trouble with this kind of communication strategy.
Focus on a special feature that makes the customer's work processes easier. Tell them that the system was converted with the aim of offering them this added value!
3. customer integration
For a resounding success, the strong Integration of the customer into the system important. This is something that is often intuitively rejected by service colleagues. After all, in most cases the customer also disrupts their own processes.
However, it is usually necessary to take this step, as added value can usually only be created through close interaction and if the customer is deeply integrated into the system.
Customer integration also creates Lock-in effects with the customer. These are in the After-Sales particularly important to increase the repurchase rate. In our article on the 5 types of customer loyalty find out why.
4. employee engagement
The employees must be convinced of the possibilities of the new solution. After all, the system should function and be improved over a longer period of time thanks to their input. A concept that is unpopular with internal staff usually has a relatively short life expectancy.
If the added value is not recognized, the system will only be fed with the necessary data reluctantly and in many cases not at all. And then we have a typical negative scenario that will meet with little approval from customers.
5. firm performance
Of course, the benefits for the company itself must also be mentioned here. This benefit should be examined in detail before the introduction and the Goals of the self-service solution should be predefined.
After all, the main aim is to simplify processes, save costs and increase efficiency within the company. Otherwise, we get the important Top managementsupport is not provided in the long term and the system will fail.
6. channel integration
This part is not important for every company. However, if suppliers (backward integration) or third-party service provider (forward integration) must be integrated into the system, care must of course also be taken to ensure that these interfaces are optimally integrated.
The self-service self-test
You can take the statistically valid self-test for these factors here to identify your strengths and weaknesses in relation to your company. Find out whether you are self-service ready!
