Self-accessibility refers to the degree of accessibility of information for customers or prospects through self-service systems and technology. It’s commonly known as self-service accessibility.
Usually, call centers and contact centers use the following methods to attain self-accessibility:
IVR System: Interactive Voice Response is a computer-operated system that interacts with customers through pre-recorded messages.
Chatbots: An AI-powered (artificial intelligence) software that simulates live agent conversations.
FAQs: Consists of commonly asked queries and their answers.
Online Communities: An online platform where customers can post their concerns to be answered by fellow community members or expert agents.
Self-service tools enable customers to resolve common queries independently, allowing live agents to address only complex issues and concerns. Customers can also save time and even access additional resources like step-by-step guides and ‘How To’ videos.
For example, let’s suppose a customer faces trouble on how to reboot an electronic device.
In that case, they can simply read the relevant article in the knowledge base — instead of waiting in long telephone queues.
Though self-service accessibility reduces the burden significantly, you should track all the systems to determine their effectiveness in assisting customers regularly.
You can also use customer satisfaction surveys after a self-service session to collect feedback on the experience. Doing so can help you identify improvement areas and update resources like IVR options and FAQs with newer trends.
Here are a few tips to ensure effective self-service: