The Surprising Evolution of Customer Care in the Self-Serve Era

Despite the proliferation of digitally enabled customer care, leaders expect an increase in customer call volume and a growing demand for “human” support.

“How can I help?” Chatbots pop up on many websites today, available to answer customer questions 24/7. And we’ve grown accustomed to AI-generated product or service recommendations based on our buying patterns.

Some of the largest consumer-facing technology organizations are leading the way in the use of artificial intelligence and subsequently raising the bar of consumer expectations. They’re empowering customers through self-service. When getting answers and placing orders, customers seemingly don’t need to encounter a human.

Yet, according to a recent McKinsey & Company survey, 57% of customer care leaders expect call volumes to increase by as much as one-fifth over the next one or two years.

How can these two things both be true? Customers, who are increasingly digitally savvy, can get what they need on their own. So, why is customer call volume increasing?

Experts point out several likely reasons.

• Rising customer expectations.

  Those large organizations at the digital forefront are doing more than just empowering customers. They’re raising the expectations bar. Automation helps customers efficiently get answers to routine questions.

  However, when questions or purchases get more complicated, they prefer talking to a human. Google found that 61% of mobile phone users call the business in high-value purchases. The initial research is carried out online and then the buyer wants to talk with someone.

• Loneliness.

  That’s right. Research and consulting firm Gartner predicts that by 2026, 75% of customers who call customer support will do so out of loneliness. These calls with customers trying to socialize or who are looking for emotional support will drive up call handle times.

  It will also drive up the complexity of the interaction. Instead of taking orders and answering the easy questions artificial intelligence is now handling, customer care is providing emotional support or working with customers who’ve already tried the self-help digital solutions and are now frustrated. These interactions are more taxing for the employee — requiring deep listening and other emotional intelligence capabilities.

• Younger consumers are more demanding and tired of the digital self-service model.

  Perhaps most surprisingly, live phone conversations were among younger, consumers’ most-preferred methods for contacting companies for help and support, according to McKinsey. Data from a Forrester study confirms, stating that “all generations still prefer a near-even blend of personal and self-guided interactions.”

  And this younger segment is growing in importance. In addition to their buying power as consumers, Millennials and Gen Z make up 64% of business buyers. While these younger buyers lead the demand for self-serve channels, they are also quicker to express dissatisfaction.

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Renewed focus on humanity in customer care

For customer care leaders, these predictions and studies highlight the continued significance of providing optimal interactions for customers — both self-guided and personal.

They also illuminate the evolution of customer interactions with an organization’s frontline workers and customer care pros. The role is becoming more complex and challenging, requiring high levels of emotional intelligence.

Employees who can skillfully handle complicated problems and emotional customers are invaluable to the customer experience – and thus, their satisfaction and loyalty.

Five key factors will help strengthen the customer experience:

1. Hire the right people.

   Look for individuals with attentive listening, empathy and problem-solving skills.

2. Offer training with an emphasis on communication and emotional intelligence.

   Create more formal opportunities for learning and development as well as occasions for colleagues to regularly share success stories.

3. Prioritize customer rapport.

   Evaluate what an effective interaction looks like today. Consider whether customer care incentives are causing pressure to skip steps.

4. Address self-service failure points.

   Look for patterns that cause customers to reach out to customer care. Are there digital fixes that will better satisfy customers?

5. Reduce turnover.

   Having an experienced customer care team leads to better customer interactions. Consider how to cut stress and the job’s emotional toll. Make it clear to those in these roles how valuable their job is by creating clear paths for career progression.

Digital self-service makes it increasingly easy for customers to get answers to questions, buy and track orders, and much more. But customer expectations are also rising; and they still value human interaction — particularly when there’s a problem. Employees who can skillfully handle complicated problems and emotional customers are invaluable in providing the optimum customer experience and influencing customer loyalty.