Building blocks

Customer self-service has emerged as a key business imperative for all companies that are struggling to manage large customer bases. Businesses have started to realise that the cost-savings, efficiency gains and improvements to customer service that can be achieved by implementing self-service systems can no longer be ignored.

The benefits of self-service include massive cost-savings for enterprises, achieved by encouraging customers to use low-cost electronic channels rather than physical branches and contact centres. But, to really make self-service pay off, companies need to start with the customer's point of view and implement solutions that make his or her life more convenient.

The elements that comprise a customer-focused self-service system include an intuitive end-user interface and enabling functionality for the four key customer actions of research, manage, transact and interact. This is all underpinned by systems integration that provides a seamless customer experience. Let's briefly look at each of these key elements.

Companies should allow their customers to access self-service functionality through an easy-to-understand dashboard interface. This interface should be modelled around how the customer thinks and acts, rather than around how the business processes and systems are structured.

Customers should be able to find answers to their most common queries and be able to access the most commonly used functionality of the system within a click, once they've logged in.

The research, manage, transact and interact functionality is at the heart of the self-service system. Few companies will be able to implement all four elements in a single big-bang project.

The functionality may be phased in over time, starting with the simplest elements first and building more advanced features as customers become comfortable with the online offering.

Research encompasses giving customers access to a database of products, support and company information, as well as providing them with sophisticated reporting and analytics tools.

By giving customers powerful reporting tools, organisations can allow them to understand their account activity over time. Research functionality is where Internet sites all began - simply by providing company information online for customers to review.

Account management features allow customers to gain visibility into, and control over, their accounts. Customers can view current and historical invoices, bills, statements and account balances. They can also manage account details and preferences as well as check and validate invoices and current unbilled charges and balances.

Considering how many of the calls that an average contact centre processes relate to simple billing queries and changes to account details, companies can often achieve quick wins by implementing the 'manage' functionality.

Transact functionality allows customers to activate services and complete payments online, creating efficiencies for customers and company alike. Customers can create and update payment accounts - they can even set up convenient recurring payments.

The most value for both customers and company is realised with online activation and management of services. By allowing customers to activate their own services, they feel empowered to try out new offerings and benefit by getting immediate access to these services.

Interact functionality allows customers to initiate queries and disputes with the company from the self-service portal, rather than needing to pick up the phone to log a call. The interact processes should allow issues to be escalated from self-service to assisted-service, according to clearly defined business rules, depending on the seriousness of issues, the profitability of the customer, and other key factors.

Companies should allow their customers to access self-service functionality through an easy-to-understand dashboard interface.

Kevin Meltzer is business development director at Consology.

Customer self-service systems depend on reliable customer data - data that is accurate and current. For that reason, self-service systems must be well integrated with existing Web applications, billing, CRM and ERP systems.

The key to a successful self-service system is to recognise that self-service isn't only about cost benefits for the organisation. It's also an opportunity to offer consistent and convenient service to customers, which leads to more customer satisfaction and loyalty. But, to meet that goal, a business needs to build its self-service systems around the research, manage, transact and interact needs of its customers.

* Subsequent Industry Insights in this series will look more closely at the research, manage, transact and interact components of an effective self-service system.

* Kevin Meltzer is business development director at Consology.