Self Service
Self service remains an unexploited opportunity for most brands. Fear of actual or anticipated customer reaction has meant first generation IVR remains the most deployed version to date.
However the technical restrictions of that era of technology have given way to powerful integration options in the form of open standards such as XML/VMXL/CCXML. Customer service workflows can now be built from these web services bringing together call centre and online customer services into highly intuitive interfaces.
They work much better because they provide both visual and auditory prompts for the customer to work with. The ability to interact with a voice avatar and make decisions either by listening to choices or seeing them in front of you on screen makes the service workflow simple to follow.
Since both voice and web channels are now co-ordinated within a common technical architecture, customers experience the voice portal and the screen based browser working in tandem. Once they can use both ears and eyes to navigate, their use and confidence in self service grows.
The scope of opportunity can then become extended to many of the services currently provided by live agents such as ordering, paying, finding out, checking confidential personal data and the like.
Customer Centric Workflows
However there are still design considerations that will make or break these kinds of next generation deployments. Workflows must be designed from the customer’s perspective and extensive end user testing has to be part of the development cycle. Probably the most challenging aspect is the reinvention of the workflow itself.
Typically workflow paths develop on the basis of system restrictions rather than deliberate design based on end user requirements. Live agents in call centres have always provided a buffer for customers so they are not directly exposed to this type of complexity. However self service puts customer and workflow into direct contact.
Another aspect of this customer centricity is to recognise the differing needs of both novice and expert users so that the workflow can adapt as skill in its use grows. It is also vital that in today’s climate of consumer dislike for automation and their insistence on interacting with ‘real people’ that the opportunity to access live assistance is made clear throughout the workflow.
Self service, if undertaken effectively, can transform cost to serve and customer experience metrics. However, much re-invention has to take place to realise this. It is worth remembering therefore that self service can begin with simple, high volume applications such as call steering which often provide easier targets for cost reduction in the first phase of a self service transformation.
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Datapoint provides the following technologies and services for Self Service.