If your phones aren’t ringing, customers probably have a good reason for not calling.
They’re often just as happy with self-service, new research found.
Most companies believe customers value live help – a person on the other end of the phone – twice as much as self-service. But Harvard Business Review researchers say most customers are indifferent. They don’t care how they get help, as long as it’s efficient, done right and in the time frame they want.
If you offer self-service, make sure it’s easy to navigate. Customers who fail to get what they want on a website, at a kiosk or in a phone menu, for instance, and have to call for help are 10% more likely to ditch your company.
To be sure your self-service is doing right by customers:
- Experience it. Regularly navigate your self-service options to make sure they’re user friendly.
- Ask about it. When customers call, ask if they tried any self-service options. They’ll be happy to let you know if there were shortcomings.
- Keep it in check. Customers will likely never want to resolve major issues via self-service. Make sure it’s still easy to get a hold of a person when they need you.
