2024 Data: Key Self-Service Stats Emphasizing Its Importance

Statistics on Why Customers Choose Self-Service Over Human Support

1. Customers prefer self-service over live support

Statistics: According to Zendesk, 67% of customers prefer self-service over speaking to a company representative.

Customers prefer avoiding contacting customer service because they often view the interaction as negative and time-wasting. It’s understandable, sometimes they have to wait hours for a support representative to respond, with no guarantee of a solution. Instead, they prefer self-service for its convenience, accessibility, and time-saving benefits.

Statistics: 81% of all customers attempt to take care of themselves before reaching out to a live representative – Harvard Business Review

Accessibility and easy problem-solving are the key factors that make self-service convenient. Self-service decreases the live support load and helps customers search for answers easily_, providing satisfaction and minimizing time spent in queues.

At UIowa, MyUI and ICON are shining examples of self-service portals. They redefine the academic experience through convenience and control for students. MyUI consolidates tasks such as class registration and grade inquiries into one place, while ICON provides access to course materials and communication tools with professors. These tools simplify procedures and allow learners to focus more on learning activities and improve academic success.

Source: UIowa

These self-service outlets enhance efficiency and reduce dependence on immediate guidance, making studying more pleasant and rewarding.

2. Self-support is more accessible for customers

Statistics: Self-service portals on websites are the most preferred among today’s customers for finding solutions to their problems. A survey conducted by Dimension Data found that 73% of customers prefer the website over other channels for resolving their issues.

Self-service tools are available on mobile and desktop, which means they are accessible 24/7. They offer help on demand all day and reduce the need for real-time help. These tools also support many languages and user preferences, further enhancing customer experience.

In his YouTube video, Brad Cleveland, a Senior Advisor at ICMI, emphasizes the importance of self-service accessibility. He said, “Companies that excel in self-service accessibility differentiate themselves by asking customers about their preferences, ensuring user-friendly interfaces, and increasing satisfaction with comfortable self-service tools. This strategic approach is crucial for enhancing the customer experience.”

Companies can create more effective self-service solutions by understanding and catering to customer preferences. This not only streamlines the user experience but also empowers customers to resolve issues on their own. Hence setting the stage for the enhanced satisfaction and autonomy that self-service knowledge bases provide.

3. Self-service saves time

Statistics: 73% of customers say that valuing their time is the most important thing a business can do to provide them with good customer service – Forrester

Self-service technologies such as ADSelfService at Rak Bank have helped reduce queues and assist customers with password management.

Soujanya, an employee from Rak Bank, states, “With ADSelfService, we have closed the time gap and reduced dependency on support services. People can register their cell phone numbers and take care of their accounts on their own. All within a shorter duration than traditional support modes.”

Self-service kiosks and portals are changing how businesses operate in retail, healthcare, and travel.

For instance, product companies release their new updates and user manuals online in their self-service portals like a knowledge base. These help articles allow the customers to instantly find answers to their queries and stats on how self-service benefits customer success.

Self-service helps with faster issue resolution

Statistics: Self-service portals can resolve everyday customer issues three times faster than traditional customer service channels – ASAR Digital

The best contact is the one that never happens. The second-best is the one that resolves itself quickly. The key to customer satisfaction is how fast an issue is solved.

Customer self-service tools like knowledge bases, FAQs, chatbots, and automated systems offer instant information and troubleshooting. These tools reduce the need for customer support, streamline operations, and provide quick solutions, thereby improving service efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Self-service improves customer satisfaction

Statistics: Clients see an average 45% increase in CSAT after adopting self-service – Service Target

The Ministry of Health KPK worked with Wavetec to implement an Electronic Queue Management Solution. This system was installed at 26 sites, each with around forty counters. This program helped:

• shorten patient waiting times,
• improve staff productivity,
• increase customer satisfaction levels,
• reduce congestion,
• make tracing patients’ information safer and more accurate.

This shows how self-service solutions enhance client interactions while raising all-around performance efficiency.

Self-service improves customer retention rate

Statistics: 67% of customer churn could be avoided if businesses resolved issues the first time they occurred – Ameyo

Companies implementing effective self-service options will likely experience higher customer retention rates. Positive customer experiences with self-service can foster loyalty, thereby enhancing customer retention.

For example, Between the Flags, an Australian specialty store chain used self-service platforms to improve customer retention during peak sales week.

How did they achieve this?

Between the Flags replaced traditional POS stations with self-service digital platforms, which helped customers control their shopping journey. The customers also gained access to product recommendations, information, and real-time stock levels. As a result, the average value of each transaction increased by 14%. In comparison, the revenue for the week grew by 60-70%.

A good self-service tool improves customer loyalty and increases retention rates. The result is that it enhances the sales cycle.

Stats on the organizational benefits of self-service

1. Self-service reduce support cost

Statistics: By implementing chatbots, businesses can reduce customer service costs by 30% – Chatbots Magazine

IBM used a self-service AI platform, “Watson Assistant,” to handle routine customer queries. This led to a 40% decrease in call center traffic and saved costs.

FAQs, knowledge bases, and AI chatbots handle routine queries without needing live agents. This reduces support tickets and calls, cutting operational costs.

Also, Uku Tomikas, the CEO OF Messente Communication, saw a 50% drop in support tickets after deploying their knowledge base and chatbots which further proves the cost-effectiveness of self-service solutions.

2. Improve the efficiency of the customer support team

Improving customer support efficiency involves leveraging self-service tools to handle routine inquiries, allowing teams to focus on more complex issues.

Martin Bouvier, head of Onboarding at Qonto, discussed how a self-service platform helped his team save time and stay efficient. He said, “We chose Intercom as our self-service platform which helped us cut first-response times by 2 minutes and saved 1,058 team hours each quarter.”

3. Self-service improves how customers view a company

Statistics: 89% of consumers are more likely to repurchase after positive customer service experiences – Helpscout

Smart Ident, an Austrian e-platform, handles regulatory procedures like face recognition and electronic signatures for finance, banking, insurance, and healthcare sectors. They had issues with version control in their documentation, which was affecting how customers viewed their brand.

They chose Document360 as their self-service platform because of its easy-to-use interface and AI search function that supports custom CSS and provides detailed analytics. After implementing Document360, feedback from customers and overall customer experience improved significantly.

“Feedback from our customers on our support site has been only positive. That is why they all like the site so much,” says the Founder of Smart Ident, Bernhard Reiterer.

4. Self-service is a relevant investment focus

Statistics: 91% of companies identified self-service as a relevant investment focus – Tidio

Customer self-service reduces waiting times, provides personalization, and helps cut costs. When executed well, it improves customer experience and efficiency. For instance, while self-service platforms may cost as much as employing a full-time staff member for one year, they offer a strong ROI.

The airline industry relies on self-service technologies. Delta Airlines has invested in self-service platforms and mobile apps for check-ins and boarding, which have enabled streamlining operations, reducing wait times, and improving passenger experiences.

Businesses invest in self-service platforms to reap long-term benefits. This is very important in high-touch industries like retailing and tech. Self-serve options offer solutions, escalations, and processes based on customers’ needs.

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Example of self-service platforms with statistics

1. Statistics on using a knowledge base for self-service

Statistics: 51% of customers favor technical support through a knowledge base – Document360  

David Ingram, Senior Technical Writer at Mindful, says that since we migrated our knowledge base to Document360, we are seeing our knowledge base site being heavily used by both internal and external users. Internal users are choosing to visit Document360 rather than their stack of documentation.

Yoni Hubermann, Director of Customer Education of Panaya says we are extremely happy with Document360. We have been getting feedback from both customers and employees on how much easier it is to use, and how the search function works effectively, which makes finding information simple.

Soumya Mahapatra, CEO of Essenvia, a MedTech platform, provides valuable insights about knowledge bases. He said, “We need more control over the user interface and experience; hence, we use knowledge-based self-service rather than chatbots. In MedTech, data should be precise and accurate. So, knowledge bases allow users to get as much information as they want.”

Simon Bacher, CEO of Ling, also made a case for knowledge bases as he stated, “The statistics we have recorded show that about 60% of clients prefer Knowledge Base, while 40% use AI chatbot.”

Rohan Joshi, CEO of Wolken Software, suggests integrating GenAI into knowledge bases to improve customer service. This, with human oversight, ensures accuracy, making knowledge bases valuable self-service tools.

The approach by Rohan is beneficial for B2C companies, as it creates the opportunity for an available and easy-to-access source of knowledge.

This approach is beneficial for B2C companies, as it creates the opportunity for an available and easy-to-access source of knowledge.

Read more: The Expert’s Guide To Create A Self-Service Knowledge Base.

2. Statistics on chatbots for self-service

74% of customers would choose a chatbot over a human agent to look for answers to simple questions – Tidio

The best chatbots for business act as the direct line between customer problems and solutions. Companies use advanced AI, like conversational AI and generative AI, to communicate and understand complex questions. As a result, they provide quick and satisfying responses to customer complaints.

Some successful examples include:

• HelloFresh Freddy: Achieved a 76% reduction in response time and managed more incoming messages.
• Kia’s Kian: Increased website conversion by 14%.
• Emirates Vacations: Saw an 87% increase in engagement through their chatbot ad

CureMD uses patient portals and AI-driven chatbots as self-service tools. Patient portals enable appointment scheduling, health record access, and provider communication. AI-driven chatbots handle inquiries well by providing quick responses. They also personalized interactions based on user needs and preferences.

Read more: How Humans & Chatbots Can Optimize Your Customer Support

3. Statistics on IVR for self-service

Statistics: Global IVR systems will reach around $6.7 Billion by 2026 – PRNewswire

IVR(Interactive Voice Recorder) is a telephony menu system that enables callers to identify and be routed to the appropriate agent within the team online.

Your IVR system is often the first contact customers have with your brand. An efficient IVR moves customers to the desired path and increases satisfaction. But, a confusing IVR deters customers and damages the brand image, which can lead to customers turning towards competitors.

For example, iQor, a business process outsourcing company, IVR allows customers to check order status without waiting for an agent which improves customer satisfaction and experience.

How to get IVR to be a better self-service

• IVR menus should be understandable to the caller, and the navigation should be simple.
• Ensure callers can express themselves when completing interactions.
• Inform callers about available options, such as checking balances or paying bills.
• Tailor call routing based on callers’ needs and preferences.
• Update IVR prompts to reflect changes in services.
• Check IVR performance to identify areas for improvement.
• Integrate IVR with other support channels, online and offline.
• Encourage customers to provide feedback to enhance IVR accessibility and utility.

4. Statistics on online community for self-service

Statistics: 67% of customers prefer self-service forums where they can seek advice from their peers – Hubspot

One of the most impactful self-service solutions for customers is using online communities. Such communities allow users to post experiences, report problems, and give suggestions. This peer-to-peer interaction is beneficial in solving problems faster. It also creates a feeling of togetherness for the users.

Salesforce’s Trailblazer Community allows users to ask questions and share their insights. This collective knowledge sharing is invaluable for users who need help with issues. It also enhances their understanding of the platform.

Steve Holsinger, Chief Salesforce Architect at DEPT, says, “I can’t imagine doing my job without the help of the knowledge sharing that the Trailblazer Community facilitates. I love that you can ask and answer those hard-to-solve questions.”

Sandy Rivas, an ex-Senior Program Manager at Microsoft, discussed the benefits of community building. She said, “This community-driven approach saved millions in support costs and significantly improved customer satisfaction. 75% of the content on the platform comes from its members, making it self-sufficient and reliable.”

Online communities contribute to self-service by offering reachable support anytime and engaging users.

How does Document360 help in Self-service?

Document360 implements self-service solutions through a knowledge management platform that stores and categorizes entity FAQs, step-by-step guides, and problem-solving resources. It’s easy to navigate, and its search function allows customers to search for answers using keywords and categories.

Document360 supports international customers through localization and integrates seamlessly with other support tools. This makes it an ideal choice to boost self-service capabilities and customer satisfaction, thus reducing support costs.

Moreover, its customizing feature allows brands to create a coherent brand image which is necessary for consistency across self-service tools.