The call center has long been the key touch point for those customers who are unhappy with a service, have a problem with a product or simply have a question and can’t find the answer on their own. In recent years, however, call center solutions have focused less on putting the right people in the right place and more on enabling the right self-service options for those who want to do it themselves.
The do-it-yourself (DIY) phenomenon seems new and more readily associated with the millennial mentality. In truth, DIY has long been a key focus for Gen X and Baby Boomers who wanted to keep costs low and rely on their own capabilities instead of paying someone else. When it comes to the call center however, Baby Boomers still want to talk to a live person and Gen X users tend to cycle between live agents and self-service, depending upon the type of company they need to contact.
Interesting enough, what the company offers has a lot to do with how customers want to interact. According to a recent Intelligent Utility post, utility customer service interactions are being conducted more and more on self-service channels. An Accenture (News - Alert) study found that customers prefer DIY among 70 percent of utility company interactions. As such, utility call center solutions can no longer focus solely on complex Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus or other challenges that lead consumers to want to wait for a live agent.
The reasons for needing to connect with the utility can vary from the very simple address change to the more complex billing issue. Consumers want the ability to quickly make changes, request service, inquire about a billing issue, make a payment on a mobile device and so much more without ever needing to interact with a live agent. And, when done correctly, self-service call center solutions can save the utility considerably on the cost of each customer interaction.
One challenge, however, is that there are online companies that have certainly impacted our expectations when it comes to self-service. Amazon especially has created the customer-centric interaction that supports the omnichannel experience. We all tend to compare every interaction with the Amazon experience and base on our perceptions on whether the company falls short or exceeds this level of personalization.
To that end, there are a few things to keep in mind if your utility is ready to embrace the DIY mentality. First, not all of your customers will move this direction. It’s important to keep live agents as an option in your call center solutions. Second, remember that even for those who do want DIY, it’s not a one size fits all scenario. Plus, you want to offer the omnichannel experience, as long as you can manage it effectively and keep it seamless.
Be sure to define your goals, understand your consumers and evaluate interactions as you go. This process will have to change over time to get it just right. If you demonstrate to the customer base that they are your first priority, you’ll get to that right level a little bit faster.