That said, only 35% of consumers are satisfied with customer experience solutions . Employees also agree that they want more digital self-service options to manage their information without depending on HR.
Digital self-service stems from a key principle of Service Design: removing friction from recurring processes where a user wants to flow through steps and be straightforward. Consider that no one wants to be asked 30 questions before entering a concert, or no one likes to wait in line for more than 10 minutes to pay. Similarly, there are many digital processes where users want to get what they need quickly and achieve their goals, such as making a payment or making an appointment.
Flowing through a seamless process gives the user behavioral luxembourg business email list delight , in the words of Nielsen Norman. In addition to providing brand value and a pleasant visual experience, digital self-service empowers users and gives them autonomy when interacting with portals, websites, mobile applications and apps.
With this in mind, this article will explore different use cases and the impact of implementing digital self-service in various areas of business operations.
Woman using a Self-Service kiosk
What exactly is digital self-service?
Before we get into the subject, let's define what we mean by digital self-service.
Simply put, it refers to the use of digital technology to enable customers, employees or partners to perform various tasks independently, without human interaction or assistance.
It can take different forms, such as automated processes on online portals , well-designed user journeys, transactions, chatbots, mobile apps , and knowledge bases. By offering customers a range of self-service options, businesses can reduce wait times, increase convenience, and improve satisfaction levels.
There are four groups of use cases for digital self-service, divided by what the user is trying to achieve: account management, transactions and payments, customer service, and personalization. We’ll explore each of these below.
Four types of digital self-service use cases
1. Account management
One of the key areas where digital self-service can have a significant impact is account management. Modern organizations across all industries typically offer websites, portals, or mobile apps to sell products or offer services where customers can create accounts. Once they do, they want to manage their accounts easily and conveniently, whether it’s updating personal information, viewing past transactions, or reviewing account statements.
In fact, users are increasingly looking for self-service options that allow them to take control of their accounts. And businesses are responding. However, their efforts are not always effective.
Gartner reports that companies often create self-service resources that confuse customers with too much information and fail to resolve their issues quickly. As a result, customers turn to live channels such as phone support, which is expensive for the company.
A good example is the password reset process. If a user has to request a password change and wait for an agent to respond, they are likely to feel frustrated and associate that experience with negative feelings towards your brand.
