Self-service is an approach where users are able to access resources to find solutions on their own. Modern service systems are intelligent and autonomous, providing top-quality guidance and support without requiring assistance from a human service representative.
The age of the reactionary customer is over. Today’s customers are informed, active, and tech savvy. They are invested in their own customer experience. At the same time, they are less willing to wait on the convenience of customer-support personnel and service agents. They want reliable solutions, quickly. Often, that means they want self-service. Self-service is changing the way organizations assist their customers, but it is not a new concept. Self-service vending machines first appeared as early as 1833, and self-service gas stations arrived in the 1960s. In the 1990s, many supermarkets began to offer self-service options, where shoppers could scan and pay for their own purchases. The 1990s and early 2000s also saw the rise of eCommerce, necessitating advances in digital, online self-service.
As customers became more accustomed to shopping and communicating online, self-service grew alongside emerging digital technologies. Today, self-service options are available across nearly every industry, empowering users to take a more active hand in their own journey.
The idea of self-service seems to fly in the face of what we know about customers: They want more value, and they do not want to have to invest a lot of effort. By placing the responsibility of customer support back in the hands of the users, aren’t businesses offering less and asking more? The reality is that customer self-service fulfills a separate need; it provides faster gratification.
Contacting and waiting on a customer service agent takes time. When you need a resolution to a problem or an answer to a question, having to remain on hold or keep checking your inbox for an email is frustrating. Customers want a quick resolution, and the perception is that traditional customer support simply cannot fulfill that need.
Self-service provides businesses with a unique opportunity to improve their customer service while reducing cost and strain on support personnel.
There is more to effective self-service than simply telling customers to go figure it out for themselves. Organizations need to provide their users with the right resources, and the software to access them. In other words, it is your responsibility to aggregate solutions to known issues together into your self-service system, and then present the tools that make it easy to use.
That said, before you can deliver exceptional customer service, you need to outline your self-service strategy
Understanding users is key to building a quality self-service system. To do that, you should start tracking your current customer-support interactions. What are the most common questions your users are asking? What problems are they regularly needing solutions to?
Analyzing the cases your customer service team addresses will give you a clear idea of where you can provide reliable self-service, and what topics you will need to address. At the same time, keeping an eye on frequently searched terms related to customer pain points—not only in Google, but also on your own site—can give you further insight into your customers’ needs.
Once you have identified recurring questions and problems, you next need to provide the solutions. Have your top support personnel review the questions and create easy-to-understand answers. The goal here is to provide users with a quick, uncomplicated guide that they can follow without having to call your support line. When appropriate, include videos, screenshots, and other examples in your answers.
Creating accessible resources and setting up a knowledge base can be an effective approach to customer self-service, but it is not your only option. Other self-service channels may include creating chatbots, providing a service catalog, and creating online communities.
Finally, create a place where users interact with software to search for solutions to their problems. This is called a self-service portal.
A self-service portal is a website that acts as a searchable database for self-service resources. Users can find information, search solutions, and—when necessary—reach out for further support. Self-service portals give users the opportunity to find their own answers without outside help.
From self-service portals, users can browse knowledgebase articles and review FAQ sections. They can visit service forums or talk to AI chat bots. They can access tools designed to help them find the right solutions to their issues, quickly and easily. And, if a customer is still having trouble finding a solution, portals allow users to create cases and contact living support agents. Customers can schedule a time that works with a technician when in-person service is necessary.
Creating a self-service portal is not overly difficult; the ServiceNow® Service Portal provides tools and resources for building effective customer service portals. When creating a self-service portal, you will want to keep the following in mind:
Link to your Portal
Don’t expect users to be able to find your self-service portal if you don’t show them where it is. Include calls to action throughout your main site, linking to the self-service portal. Likewise, you can add links within your product or app and include it in your customer communications, so that when users encounter problems, they know exactly where they should go for help.
Finally, make sure your customer service agents know about the portal and how it works. As they interact with customers, they can introduce them to the self-service portal and show them how to use it. Be aware, however, that some agents may be reluctant to promote the self-service portal if they feel it might diminish the value of agents themselves.
During interactions with customers, they can suggest using the portal for self-service. Keep in mind that agents may be reluctant to suggest self-service because they perceive it could diminish the value of agents. Remind them that self-service will help customers get answers to the common and repetitive questions, freeing up agents to handle more interesting requests or interactions that truly need an individualized touch.
Optimize your FAQs
Your FAQ pages should provide succinct answers to common questions. Optimized FAQ pages can also do so much more. Incorporating relevant links into FAQs can give users clear direction about what they should do next. Built-in search functionality improves usability and eliminates the frustration of having to search through answers one at a time. Links to relevant blog and product pages can further elaborate on your existing answers while also improving conversions through your site. And, for those who need more one-on-one assistance, consider including other contact options on the page.
Incorporate multimedia
Individuals learn differently, and a block of text is not always the best way to guide your audience. When creating your self-service portal, consider incorporating multimedia. These may include diagrams, videos, flowcharts, images, podcasts, or any other media that might benefit the user.
Improve self-service search
Search functionality is a crucial factor in self-service. When creating a search function for your self-service portal, make sure that you are focusing on user experience, first and foremost. Make the search bar easy to locate and large enough to fit longer queries. Include auto suggestions, and make sure to account for keyword-related issues, such as misspellings and synonyms. Include filtering and advanced search options.
Keep your content up to date
Change is inevitable; the answers and solutions you provide today may not be applicable tomorrow. Regularly review and update your self-service resources. Include the last updated date in the resources themselves, so users can see at a glance how recent the information is. Having a standardized workflow will help ensure consistency, tracking, and that the right people are participating in reviews and updates.
Optimize for mobile
The desktop computer is no longer the primary device for accessing information online; employees and customers often prefer to use mobile devices. As you establish your self-service portal and its underlying self-service channels, be sure not to skip over mobile usability. Optimizing your portals for mobile will make them more accessible, and thus more likely to be used.
There are two distinct types of self-service portals: customer facing and employee facing.
A customer self-service portal is designed to function as an easy-to-access resource for leads and customers. It generally includes knowledge-base articles, FAQs, chat services, tutorials, community forums, and other relevant options for finding solutions.
The customer self-service portal is usually hosted on the company’s website and is available 24/7. Customer self-service empowers clients and potential clients with quick resolutions to common first- and second-tier issue.
An employee self-service portal is designed inward facing. This kind of portal likewise provides relevant resources and solutions to common problems, but also gives employees a place where they can manage their payroll, access the employee handbook, review benefits, read up on policies, update personal information, and more.
Employee self-service portals are accessible online, 24/7, but are typically not open to the general public; employees need to securely log into the portal to access company documents and personal information.
While all self-service platforms may have the same goal, they do not all provide the same capabilities. Here are several prominent features and tools to look for when choosing a self-service solution for your business:
In addition to giving users a central location from which to locate solutions and access self-service options, service portals can also be personalized to specific users across every channel. Users can review their previous cases, check on the progress of current cases, and open new cases, from any device and anywhere in the world.
Although static resources can be valuable, many customers prefer a more customized and intelligent set of resources. AI-driven chatbots can use natural language processing to identify and understand user needs and then respond to them in real time. Correctly employed, AI solutions and chatbots can guide users through troubleshooting steps, provide instant answers to frequent questions, and even escalate complex issues to human agents seamlessly. The best AI and chatbots learn from each interaction to improve their responses over time, ensuring a continually enhancing user experience.
Effective self-service platforms use advanced search and personalization features to help users find relevant resources quickly. They also take things further, automatically identifying gaps and triggering workflows for creating new resources.
Built-in access to online forums and social communities gives users a place where they can workshop solutions together. It also gives you more insight into the problems, ideas, and experiences users are having. This lets you identify unsolved issues and assign them to agents.
One of the biggest differentiators of a top self-service platform is whether it includes a service catalog option. The ServiceNow® Service Catalog application uses simple forms to give customers the opportunity to request solutions directly from relevant departments. Workflow allows you to monitor progress, analyze performance, and detour customers when needed.
This feature emphasizes the importance of providing a seamless support experience by integrating various self-service tools and resources within a unified platform. An integrated support environment cohesively combines knowledge bases, AI and chatbots, community forums, and service catalogs into a single interface. This integration ensures that users can easily navigate between different types of support without feeling lost or frustrated. By centralizing access to all support options, businesses can offer a more efficient and user-friendly service, encouraging self-resolution and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Technology continues to improve, enhancing self-service capabilities in the process. As users become more empowered in what they can accomplish without guidance from a human service representative, many clear advantages emerge. The following are among the top benefits of self-service:
No one wants to wait longer than necessary to get their issue resolved. Self-service platforms allow users to find answers and resolve issues on their own, significantly reducing resolution times. This agility in service ensures that customers don't have to wait in long queues or depend on business hours to get the help they need. For businesses, it means being able to address customer needs without delay, enhancing overall service efficiency.
Self-service contributes significantly to customer retention by providing a hassle-free support experience. When customers can easily find information and resolve issues on their own, their satisfaction levels rise, making them more likely to continue doing business with the brand. Moreover, the efficiency of self-service means that even as customer bases grow, the quality of support remains consistent, further bolstering retention.
As businesses grow, so does the volume of customer inquiries and support requests. Self-service platforms scale to accommodate this increase in demand without the need for proportional increases in support staff. This scalability is crucial for managing costs while ensuring that customer service quality does not deteriorate over time.
One of the most significant advantages of self-service is its availability round the clock. Unlike traditional customer support that is bound by office hours, online self-service portals, FAQs, and chatbots are accessible anytime, anywhere. This ensures that customers can find solutions to their problems or answers to their questions at their convenience, enhancing their overall experience and loyalty to the brand.
Taken all together, the combination of convenience, autonomy, and efficiency leads to improved customer satisfaction. Self-service options that are easy to use and provide quick answers not only solve immediate problems but also contribute to a positive overall perception of the brand. Satisfied customers are more likely to become repeat customers and even brand advocates, sharing their positive experiences with others.
At their core, self-service systems are designed around a framework of pre-configured actions and responses. They leverage intelligent software to sift through vast databases of information, automatically identifying and presenting solutions to user queries. Self-service systems begin with a database. This repository contains answers to frequently asked questions, troubleshooting guides, and detailed articles on various topics relevant to the customer's needs.
Employing AI and machine learning algorithms, these systems can understand user queries, match them with the appropriate information in the database, and deliver the correct responses to users in real-time.
Self-service options may be found across the full range of industries and use-cases. Some of the most common types of self-service system include:
At the heart of any effective self-service system is a well-structured knowledge base. This digital library is crucial for enabling customers to find answers independently, serving both as a self-help tool and a knowledge hub for the brand. In addition to textual content, these databases often include multimedia resources like videos, diagrams, and interactive guides to accommodate different learning preferences.
Self-service portals complement knowledge bases by offering a centralized platform where customers can search for information, access services, and even interact with AI-driven assistants. These portals are designed for intuitive access and ease of use, ensuring that users require the least amount of support as they navigate through the available resources to find the solutions they need.
Many organizations develop their proprietary applications to serve as dedicated self-service platforms. These apps enable customers to manage their accounts, request additional services, and access a wide range of support resources directly from their mobile devices. The convenience and accessibility of app-based self-service platforms significantly enhance the user experience by putting control in the hands of the customer.
Modern self-service takes user autonomy well beyond FAQ pages. AI and chatbots represent a revolutionary shift in self-service technology and are integral to modern self-service offerings. Integrated within websites, social media platforms, and other digital channels, chatbots can simulate human-like interactions, but without the limitations of working living representatives.
AI technologies are free from distractions and are much less likely to make errors. They can also handle a high volume of requests simultaneously, providing instant responses to common queries. And in the event that they encounter a problem they cannot resolve on their own, they are able to escalate these complex issues to human agents. AI technology makes it possible for self-service systems to operate independently, allowing human agents to focus their energies resolving only the most difficult questions.
Self-service portals enable users with the resources and support to find their own solutions, improving the user experience. But self-service portals also generate many significant benefits to the organizations offering them.
Employee self-service portals free up HR personnel from repetitive tasks related to HR transactions and many employee services. Employee portals also help standardize important processes, while offering a reliable platform for record keeping and reporting. Together, these advantages translate into cost savings in terms of both time and efficiency.
Customer self-service portals may be even more rewarding. When strategically planned and properly implemented, customer self-service improves business productivity and reduces customer-service costs. As customers find the solutions to their own problems, your agents will be able to focus more of their time on helping those customers who cannot find their answers on their own.
Additionally, customer-service portals benefit your business by educating your customers. They learn to better use your product and are capable of solving similar problems in the future. As they become more familiar with the ins and outs of what you are offering, they will be more likely to want to do business with you in the future.
Once you have decided on a self-service platform, the only thing left to do is roll it out. Most platforms will provide the guidance you need to ensure that your users can effectively access and navigate your self-service portals. Follow the steps outlined by the platform providers, and work with them to resolve any apparent issues before you present your portal to your users.
Click here to learn more about successfully rolling out your self-service platform.
Today's buyers want autonomy, and they're interested in taking a more active role in their own service and support. ServiceNow Customer Service Management (CSM) makes this possible, providing a unified, personalized self-service experience that users can access anytime, from anywhere—without the hassle of waiting on human agents.
CSM's comprehensive self-service options, including the Service Portal and Engagement Messenger, serve as centralized launching points for accessing a wide array of services. These range from managing profiles and service cases to engaging with AI-powered chatbots for instant support. By automating solutions to common requests and facilitating direct connections with experts, ServiceNow ensures that customers can quickly find the answers and assistance they need without unnecessary delays. Virtual agents with natural language understanding, predicative intelligence, crowd sourcing options, and robust knowledge management are all brought together in a single, centralized platform, making CSM the gold standard in customer self-service.
See how ServiceNow can transform the customer self-service experience. Click here to learn more!