There is no surprise that customers are becoming more involved in-service delivery than ever before. Customers have always had a role to play during service delivery. The only difference is their role is becoming more significant thanks to self-service technology advancements and the lesser need to hire more people. Think about this, if a machine or everyday customer can perform the works that a paid employee can, what is the point of even hiring them? That is the mindset that many companies are adapting to; it’s cheaper, involves less resources and encourages the customer to get involved.
Many customers also prefer it, as it gives them the option to go at their own pace, cater to those who may not enjoy this type of human interaction, and encourage them to learn new technological and problem solving skills. Not only this, but companies are also adapting to the self-service approach of providing a contactless experience for customers in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. It can often create a positive image for businesses, whereby implementing a contactless service depicts to customers that they care about their health and safety.
Here are just some of the many thing’s customers can do:
- Check-out their own groceries
- Do their own banking via a mobile app or ATM
- Order their food through scanning a QR code or ordering at the self-serve kiosk
- Print their tickets off at self-service kiosks (aeroplane tickets, movie tickets, just to name a few)
- Check-in by themselves at an airport, hotel, worksite and medical centre
- Book a table at their favourite restaurant directly from their electronic device
What does the future hold for customer self-service? Whether you like it or not, it is here to stay and will probably continue to grow. Over 60% of US customers prefer an automated self-service for simple customer service tasks!
AI bots and virtual customer assistants are here for the long haul
The growing implementation of customer self-service also entails customers solving their own problems without support from a human support agent. Bots and virtual customer assistants are becoming more widely adopted, as customers are growing to expect instant, 24/7 support. AI advancements such as chatbots and virtual assistants alongside readily available help resources such as FAQ pages, help centres, blog posts, guides and demonstration videos are now the customer’s preferred support forum. In fact, 79% of customers expect organisations to provide self-service support tools to help them find solutions without having to contact support.
Natural language processing
As we shift into a world of AI, automation and self-service, companies are attempting a humanistic approach into their machines. An example of this is Natural language processing, which gives computers the ability to understand and interpret text and spoken words the same way humans can. Such approaches are being increasingly utilised as it offers a personalised and optimized conversational experience for customers. It enables companies to capture the natural language of their customers and helps them continuously improve thanks to precise and personalised feedback. This trend is only going to get bigger, with the Global Natural Language Processing Market expected to be worth USD 48.46 billion by 2026, compared to the market value in 2020 at USD 10.72 billion!
Machine learning
Machine learning is the process of teaching a computer system to make accurate predictions when it is fed data. The future of machine learning is looking bright, the market is expected compound growth rate between 2021 and 2028 is 38.6%. Machine learning is playing an increasingly important role in our everyday lives. Some common examples include:
- Traffic predictions when using GPS navigation services
- Social media: People you may know, facial recognition when being tagged in photos
- Product and service recommendations: Netflix ‘recommended for you’
- Banking: Determining fraud trends and protecting accounts from hackers
How Sine can help you adopt to the future of self-service
Sine can help prepare for the future of self-service and technology by implementing touchless solutions into your workplace. Adopt to the future of self service by employing a visitor management system like Sine and ditch paper based check-in systems!