The job of customer service is undoubtedly a real challenge. Balancing the customer’s need for fast, personalised service with the company’s requirements for efficient operations and loyal clientele is not always easy. However, this task becomes almost impossible if your customer service staff do not have everything they need to succeed. In the second part of our series of articles, we take a look at what is needed to optimise the agent experience and how self-service can support this.
If you haven’t already read the article on agent experience in technical customer support, take a look at it.
First-class support requires not only personal commitment but also well-coordinated systems, tools and processes. Self-service support is not a substitute, but rather an equal partner to employee service. The importance of a unified approach to service is backed up by the Zendesk CX Trends report, which shows that 69 per cent of customers prefer to solve problems themselves when given options.
Of course, self-service cannot completely replace human support. Many customers still prefer to speak to a real person about complex issues. Therefore, seamless collaboration between the two options is critical to providing outstanding service and retaining customers over the long term.
The optimisation of the agent experience depends largely on the efficient management of processing and waiting times as well as the complexity of the concerns. According to the CX Trends report, half of customers make their choice of support contact channel based on the speed of response they require. Around 40 per cent take into account the complexity of their request. Self-service is particularly suitable for customers with simple requests who are looking for a quick answer. On the other hand, human support is in demand for extremely complex issues.
Many customers prefer to solve problems independently. According to a report by Microsoft (Global State of Customer Service), 86 percent of customers even expect a customer self-service solution. Here are some scenarios where customers opt for self-service:
Check out our checklist to find out whether your company is ready for self-service. We say yes!
Additional help is needed when issues are complicated, emotional, or stressful. Here are situations where customers choose human support:
The best support ticket is the one that doesn't need to be created in the first place. Providing customers with the ability to find their own solutions can significantly contribute to relieving the burden on customer service.
The Conntac Service Dashboard plays a crucial role in enhancing the agent experience in customer service. Poor tools, lack of transparency, and increasingly complex issues can highlight a negative agent experience, as discussed in the first part of our series "Agent Experience in Technical Customer Support." The dashboard provides service agents and managers with full control over customers' in-app activities, offers transparent insights into service processes, and supports targeted problem-solving. The real-time statistics help managers continuously improve customer service and reduce call durations. The synergy with self-service becomes evident, as a well-integrated dashboard like Conntac's ensures that agents can work efficiently. This balanced combination amplifies the transformative power of self-service and elevates the agent experience to a new level.
Implementing efficient self-service solutions offers a revolutionary way to optimize the agent experience in customer service. A balanced combination of automated support and human interaction not only contributes to customer satisfaction but also enhances agent efficiency. The skillful integration and continuous improvement of self-service options are key to an outstanding agent experience.
