Why self-service customer service is a core driver of retention 

Today, customers want quick solutions that address their concerns and they want this information immediately. One way to help customers get the instant answers they want is through self-service options, which has become a very popular way for brands to provide the answers their customers need. When implemented correctly, there are many advantages to offering self-service channels (other than the obvious cost-saving element), which may help brands drive customer success.  

At Ventrica, we believe that the emotional intelligence behind customer self-service is what truly makes it a core customer service and retention strategy. It provides an important platform to strengthen brand affinity by delivering intuitive, human-like support even in automated interactions complementing and enhancing the overall contact center experience.  

The evolution of self-service customer service  

Self-service support used to be just a set of FAQs and knowledge bases with some potentially relevant questions and answers that probably didn’t apply to most customers. A lot has changed since then. Today, self-service includes interactive apps, virtual assistants that help customers and chatbots and other AI-driven tools to name but a few. These drivers have created a fundamental shift on how self-service was once perceived. Now, self-service technology has the ability to provide meaningful, engaging experiences that drive brand trust. Customers aren’t left to their own to try and figure out something in a maze of knowledge, but they have intuitive self-service at their fingertips.   

Many users of the ‘old’ self-service channels will remember rigid menus with limited choices that provide irrelevant answers. Unfortunately this approach means that the customer is usually left frustrated and potentially even annoyed at not being able to find an answer. These keyword-related limitations in navigation functionality left customers disengaged, unable to resolve their issues efficiently. Today, significant advancements have been made in language processing and machine learning and other technology, which means self-service platforms understand context, remember preferences and may even predict what a customer might need. This experience, by contrast, provides a far superior customer care experience that leaves customers feeling engaged, heard and satisfied.  

Why retention depends on more than just convenience  

Convenience on its own is not enough to keep customers coming back. Whatever you provide your customers to serve themselves needs to be intuitive and genuinely helpful. It doesn’t matter just that the infrastructure is there for them to resolve a query at 10am on a Sunday – they need to actually be able to close the loop and resolve that query. Otherwise it’s better to signpost them to a live agent – at least a tthat point, they aren’t chasing their tail trying to argue with a bot that hasn’t been set up well enough. 

Let’s look at a simple example where a customer is trying to reset a password: A basic, generic self-service system will likely offer a set of instructions to follow, but if the instructions aren’t clear or if the system can’t recognise the customer’s frustration, the experience can leave a customer agitated – thereby customer satisfaction level drops. After all, the only thing they want to do is reset their password.  

However if this was an emotionally intelligent system; one that could detect frustration or repeated password reset attempts and that could then offer personalised prompts or escalate to a human agent proactively, mitigating what can turn into a bad customer support experience. This is why incorporating emotional intelligence is such a game-changer.  

Emotional intelligence: what it means and why it matters in self service 

Right about now, you’re probably wondering what emotional intelligence in self-service support looks like? Well, in it’s most basic form, it’s about designing digital experiences and services that feel human and that feel authentic. This means conversation that is clear, friendly language, personalised content and interfaces that adapt to how customers feel. Emotionally intelligent self-service uses sentiment to detect when a customer is frustrated, or when they may be confused. Once this is detected, they can escalate the query to a human agent as proactive means to support and provide assistance help the customer. By anticipating customer behaviour in a way that supports customers, effort and stress is reduced, which in turn, builds trust between the customer and your brand. By using emotional intelligence in this way, your services ensure customers feel valued, supported, and heard.  

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of emotional intellligence in self-service is that it recognises cultural differences; adapting tone and style to each customer. In doing so, you provide accessibility to all your customers. In practice, it would look something like a chatbot that uses information language that some might enjoy, but that may confuse others and the intelligence to know when to change according to your customer’s profile or preferences. These personalised nuances go a long way to foster brand commitment.  

The commercial impact: linking emotional self-service to retention and revenue  

Investing in emotionally intelligent self-service pays off commercially. Research continues to demonstrate the correlation between customers that have positive self-service experiences and the their likelihood to stay loyal to that brand. Loyal customers are repeat customers and those who are likely to spend more with you as time goes on. By removing issues that may cause frustration through traditional self-service channels, brands benefit from a strong retention rate which lowers acquisition costs.   

Why Ventrica? Emotive CX meets intelligent self-service  

Here at Ventrica we combine the use of advanced AI with genuine human empathy which delivers self-service solutions that resonate with your customers in a way that is real and authentic. This approach ensures that self-service solutions aren’t cold or transactional, but that it’s an opportunity for warm engagement that is aligned to your brand’s values.

We provide comprehensive training programmes that ensure our agents and the whole support team are true ambassadors and represent your brand authentically. We design self-service journeys that not only reflect your values, but that also carry your brand voice. In addition, we create seamless handovers between AI and live support, which means that engagement stays relevant and meaningful. It’s this unique blend that has helped our clients’ businesses improve their retention by building lasting customer relationships.  

Perhaps most fundamental to the success of our support strategy is embedding a culture of owning each customer interaction as an opportunity to build trust and affinity. Our solutions use real-time sentiment to monitor customers’ moods and intervene when necessary. This proactive, emotive approach to self-service is what sets us apart and that allows us to give you measurable, commercial results that matter.   

Some of the best practices for designing customer self-service to create self-service that drives retention, focus on:  

• Using clear, empathetic language that feels personal  
• Offering easy and visible options to escalate to a human agent  
• Personalising content and recommendations based on customer data  
• Continuously gathering feedback and refining the experience  

By implementing these best practices, you willl reduce customer frustration and build trust – turning self-service into a retention powerhouse.   

The future of self-service and customer retention  

The future of emotionally intelligent self-service channels will continue to grow stronger. The current advances and development in voice recognition, sentiment analysis and proactive support have already yielded successful customer loyalty strategies. Further development will continue to be a key catalyst in effective self-service as a driver of brand loyalty, customer retention and growth.   

At Ventrica, we specialise in delivering these emotive customer experiences and help brands transform their traditional self-service platforms into highly-effective customer service and retention platforms. If you are ready to change the way you think about self-service, contact us today.   

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