In a market where the customer experience is the main driver of success and business prosperity, investing in digital self-service can be a huge competitive advantage for your company. After all, in addition to bringing greater convenience and practicality to the parties, it will enhance the efficiency of this journey, the satisfaction, and loyalty of the buyer – benefits that depend directly on a careful balance of some factors to achieve this purpose.
No matter how much technology cannot fully replace human work, it is a fact that there are certain tasks that many of us prefer to handle alone and in a faster, more automatic way. As proof of this, Salesforce data shows that 81% of customers prefer to solve problems on their own before contacting a representative. Additionally, 73% feel more confident in addressing their needs with this option, according to another study by Forrester Research.
There are no shortage of reasons to justify such a preference, ranging from faster and more effective service—without the need to wait in lines or for an available agent—to 24/7 availability, a factor that increases customer satisfaction and convenience. Yes, not to mention the reduction in operational expenses related to the required human intervention.
Even if it seems extremely sophisticated in technological terms, its scalability is also a favorable point that deserves attention, as any business entity, regardless of its size or industry, has the opportunity to venture into digital self-service. After all, even for those who do not have significant resources to invest in this technology, there are simpler and more economical alternatives that can be prioritized initially, increasing investments in more sophisticated systems as operations grow and the model's adherence is validated.
This range of options includes, among others, the possibilities of tools capable of ensuring internal digital self-service. Various technologies have the ability to provide advantages to digital self-service, such as thevoice andchatbots, which, through AI, emulate human dialogues and can be integrated into telephone channels (active or receptive), such as websites, mobile applications, platforms or messaging channels, answering common questions, assisting user navigation or even carrying out transactions in an automated manner, such as sales, appointment confirmations/rescheduling, plan renewals/contracting and even negotiating outstanding debts.
Still within this resource, we can highlight generative AI, a technology that is constantly evolving and aims to provide the ability to create various types of content, such as texts, images, and videos, autonomously. In the context of digital self-service, it can be used to produce more complex and personalized responses, making interactions with customers more fluid and natural.
There are also the famous service kiosks, which allow customers to perform transactions and request information without the need for human interaction, in addition to mobile apps themselves, these tools are powerful as they enable customers to access services, make purchases, and interact with the company quickly and conveniently, directly on their devices. All options are truly powerful for revolutionizing customer satisfaction and ROI, but they need to be carefully implemented considering certain points of attention.
For your company to be able to invest in digital self-service and obtain excellent results, some care needs to be taken when incorporating the chosen technological resource.
An important tip is to ensure that the solution is developed in a personalized manner, so that it meets users with contextualized responses to their needs and with maximum accuracy – thus avoiding generic messages that could cause dissatisfaction with their experience. Adjust responses, conversation flows, and functionalities based on customer feedback and performance data.
The solution will also need to be integrated with the company's other internal systems, ensuring that the content of the tool is constantly updated and relevant, prioritizing maximum transparency regarding its capabilities and limitations. Yes, without forgetting to apply real-time monitoring mechanisms, avoiding mistakes and ensuring precise adjustments in a timely manner.
Another important tip that will contribute to the good performance of digital self-service is to apply frequent tests to identify possible failures and opportunities for improvement. All of this is supported by an omnichannel support system, which will ensure the effectiveness of digital self-service solutions, guaranteeing consistency in the responses provided, maximizing resolution capabilities, and ensuring a positive customer experience.
There is no doubt about the benefits that companies and customers will have with this strategy and, if your business has not yet joined this trend, know that you are missing out on a huge opportunity to have a more optimized, effective and safe solution to increase your customer's satisfaction and experience throughout the purchasing journey.
