Many companies are shifting towards self-help customer support. In this approach, a customer uses an interactive interface on a company’s support system to get the solutions to their problems. Clients get help from the virtual assistant systems without the intervention of an agent.
Two main ideologies motivate the improvement of online autonomous customer care. The first one is that clients prefer to find solutions by themselves. Customers like it that way because it simplifies the handling of recurring issues.
Secondly, firms are after optimal customer care. But being round-the-clock is a problem. Self-help can help improve the timely and appropriate handling of client issues and boost customer satisfaction.
New technology can also help improve the functionality of your virtual assistance platform. Developing a self-service support mechanisms goes a long way in making the customer care process efficient.
Companies should choose the appropriate innovations to incorporate into their support system. You can start by identifying and implementing the technologies you need in your enterprise.
Market trends Disrupting the Today and Future of self-service support
But self-service is also changing. Driven by several factors we are yet to see.
Tomorrow’s self-service systems will be better than today’s autonomous customer care systems. Here are the three main market trends shaping the future of the virtual assistance software:
1. Continued usage of messaging platforms.
In recent years there has been an upsurge of messaging applications. Almost everyone who owns a computer or smartphone uses messaging platforms. Instant messaging is a trend everyone likes and prefers.
Clients often relate to the messaging format of communication. They believe the exchange of information and solving of issues happen quickly.
Major communication firms such as Facebook and WhatsApp are looking to help businesses build relevant consumer support platforms. Companies can now use instant messages to communicate with their clients on a real-time basis.
2. The use of Customer relationship management (CRM) within the process of customer care.
Customer relationship management is the use of specific capabilities, methods, and software to identify and manage relationships with clients, and CRM allows for a better understanding of customer needs.
It is possible to keep track of a customer’s preferences using CRM, so firms can provide a personalized experience for each client.
Self-service support systems will be able to make a calculated decision using data from the CRM platform. Consumer needs and preferences will come first at all times.
Customers won’t have to provide a lot of information because the system will automatically predict what they need.
3. More use of video assistance in customer care.
It is undeniable that everyone loves videos. That is why there are so many video streaming platforms these days. Many people would rather watch a do-it-yourself video rather than read an instruction manual.
Since there is extensive access to the internet across the world, videos are becoming a fast and reliable means of communication. Such a mentality can assist in making self-service an efficient process.
Creating a self-help video can help in addressing multiple client issues. Customer care can staff work with the technical crew to create self-help videos. Such videos should cover major issues as well as frequently asked questions.
Changes in Tech Impacting Autonomous Customer Care.
Technology plays a crucial role in improving the quality of self-service support. When it comes to self-service, artificial intelligence plays a core role.
In recent years there has been a huge advancement in how artificial intelligence works. Still it is important to note that not all features of artificial intelligence will appear in the current and future self-help systems.
Autonomous intelligence has so many areas and aspects. Let us cover the areas in which AI will have an impact when it comes to self-service platforms.
1. Recognition of speech and processing of natural language.
One of the main aspects of AI that can help with customer care is speech recognition. When a system can identify speech, it can discern the message within the statement. Speech recognition assists in natural language processing.
Natural language processing (NLP) refers to the process that converts human speech into a form that is understandable by a computer system. NLP assists computers in understanding the human language.
Humans tend to be unclear information as they speak; and NLP assists computers in identifying and understanding a spoken message. Improvements within the process will allow for better identification of client queries.
That means faster handling of issues is possible with speech recognition and processing. One of the best things about NLP is that it is available on both smartphone and computer systems.
2. Improvement of Machine learning.
Machine learning is a term that many people think it refers to artificial intelligence. In a real sense, machine learning is just a component of AI. It works on the principle that a computer system that receives relevant data continuously will gain expertise over time.
Machine learning serves to provide systems information that they can use to address client issues. Such computers can recognize and solve the problem quickly and efficiently. But it is important to note that not all companies may be ready to adopt machine learning.
Machine learning is a process that consumes time and finances. However, for tech weirdoes like Elon Musk; the promise of AI is that (in future) machines will provide better solutions to human problems.
3. Making use of chatbots.
Chatbots are becoming the norm in online support and an excellent way to offer self-service support.
Many firms have chatbots that help with client interaction and solving customer problems. But there is a significant worry for people is that chatbots have come to take away employment opportunities. Chatbots offer a symbiotic existence for both machine and man. Humans can get rapid automatic answers for frequently asked questions. In fact, chatbots can gain additional knowledge from human administrators, which improves their efficiency.
In conclusion
Self-service support is the future of customer care. Appropriate tech adoption goes a long way in ensuring there is autonomous customer care for all clients. Always remember to involve the staff in any new technology decisions you make.
Work to identify the sections within customer support that you can automate with self-help solutions. Finally, make an informed decision on how to improve your customer care experience.
