#3 Solution Spotlight: the 5 commandments of digital self-service
2 months ago
Studies show that 69% of customers would rather use digital self-service than face-to-face contact. Why? Because it's faster than waiting on a hotline, more convenient than searching for the nearest branch, and available 24/7 - even in your pajamas in the middle of the night from the couch. Businesses that jump on the trend gain happier customers, lower support costs and increased loyalty. So, how do you build a client zone, an AI chatbot, or even just a sub-front-end to solve something?
Do you have a vision of what you want to achieve with your digital self-service?
I usually hear reasons like - efficiency, reduced cost of people on the phone, 24/7 service, clarity, user friendliness, etc.
But very rarely do I hear a reflection on how the company will differentiate itself from the competition, how it will gain a competitive advantage, how the company will create more value for its clients through this interaction. How does it take advantage of the moment when it has its client identified, logged in and interacting in front of the screen?
I was recently at a conference where 3 TOP executives from leading Czech companies selling a commodity (TelCo, Energie) had a discussion about how much they want to reduce the number of people in their customer service with AI agents.
Not once did they mention the state of their business, that the perception of their customers is such that people only think of them as "hot water salesmen, a necessary evil." Yet they only wanted to use the most advanced current technology to employ fewer people. Trained people. People who know their product, which, while a commodity, is often sold in a totally opaque and complicated way.
🫷It's not right.
The goal of innovation is value and maximization of capital, both financial and human. Quality people are scarce. There are even fewer people who are able to learn.
5 commandments for your better business 🦸
So, if you are faced with the consideration or task of perhaps somehow digitizing the interaction between your business and your customers, here are some tips:
Don't resign yourself to growing your business: although the need to primarily reduce costs and increase profit through this route will very likely come up in your thoughts or from the mouths of colleagues.
Know your customer: Growth potential = hit the customer's needs. It's grade school advice. Yet, I sometimes feel that some procurement people should go back to grade school because they simply didn't ask their customers. They're sure of their world view. Do you really know your customers? When was the last time you took a user survey of your clients? And did you do it among all segments? Did you segment :)?
Be prepared for change: Needs change over time, they are different in different places, in different countries, in different business models and product variants. Be prepared for this. Strategy, personnel, but also technology.
Technology is the accelerator of your vision: Choose a technology solution that enables you to change. That is, evolve, try new things, fail fast, learn fast, move between markets, be unique in different places, but be able to manage it.
Every interaction is a potential to make money, not save money. Amen.
Two examples from practice: or enough talk, let's show what that can look like 👇👇👇
1. Digitalization of a travel agency with a global reach
We helped Kuoni Tumlare to digitalize the sale of tours for their travel agency JapanSpecialist.com and streamline customer self-service in their online environment. The result is a scalable solution that can respond to the specifics of each market, tailoring the offer to local needs while respecting uniform corporate processes. As a result, the company now holds a flexible tool that supports further expansion and automation of services across countries.
2. Modern self-service client zone for investors
Investments can be quite complicated, but they don't have to be. The client zone we designed for Amundi simplifies portfolio management, increases clarity and saves time. The user has everything in one place while the firm keeps control of security, performance, scaling and offers room for further development even internationally.
Both projects show that digital self-service is not just about saving money. When designed thoughtfully, it can become a full part of a company's growth and a valuable interaction with the customer.
Author: Růžička Petr, CX consultant Lundegaard