As we shift into the next generation of tech-savvy consumers, the demand for self-service customer solutions will continue to grow exponentially. As highlighted by the Microsoft Global State of Multichannel Service Report, 92% of customers expect brands to offer a self-service option or FAQ page.
On the brick-and-mortar side, we’ve seen self-service kiosks pop up in restaurants, sporting events, and even healthcare facilities, but for contact centers, it’s not as simple as setting up a few touch screens.
We’ve already talked about how chatbots and AI will continue to expand and we’ll focus on the rise of conversational IVR in an upcoming post.
Another CX tool we anticipate for the next decade is the self-service deflection assistant. Using AI and automation, self-service deflection assistants are sort of a hybrid chatbot or virtual assistant. In a simple form, they can recognize specific actions by a customer, like returning an item, and guide them through the process using a basic decision tree. However, by harnessing the power of AI, we anticipate the next generation of these advanced deflection agents to handle much more complex tasks.
