I believe self-service is here to stay, and I think it works amazingly well for simple customer services issues. In these challenging economic times, the technologies discussed will also help businesses to reduce their overall customer service expenditures. With that being said, call deflection can only be taken so far. For companies that care about their brand and their overall customer experience, there will always be a need and a role for the kind and caring customer service representative who is available to speak with consumers by phone.

1. Will Internet Savvy Web 2.0′ers Lead to the Demise of
the Traditional Call Center Model?
Recently, I have read that Twitter of all things is apparently the cause
of significant call center layoffs. It was stated that more people than
ever are taking advantage of corporate Twitter sites to ask customer
service questions, which means less traditional phone call inquiries
(you can read the article here ).
And what is this I am hearing about ’super users’? -people that enjoy
products so much that they surf the web and online corporate
communities, jumping at the chance to help their fellow users by
answering customer service questions. From a recent tmcnet.com
article:
Since last summer, Verizon has transferred much of the responsibility in certain
divisions that require high levels of customer service to volunteers – people who
have a passion for the wireless, Internet and TV technologies that Verizon peddles,
and who like to feel useful. Sound strange? It is. But it’s also true. They’re called
“super-users,” and they work through online forums that are gradually developing
into self-sustaining databases where customers can go to answer all their questions.
Does this all mean that the end of the traditional customer service call
center is near?
I don’t think so.
Don’t get me wrong, there are great self-service companies out there
like Bazaarvoice and Lithium, and they have a place in this ecosystem,
but I think people are forgetting to examine the other side of the
spectrum and companies like Zappos.com – the reigning King of the
customer service experience.
How does one explain Zappos.com’s success in this new self-help
world? For gosh sakes they don’t even set limits for how long their
agents can talk to callers, and I believe the longest service call they
ever had was over 5 hours…..
My current thought is that there is a middle ground, and that
appropriate and tempered call deflection is the key to success.

2. What I mean by this is:
Companies should take advantage of these new technologies,
incorporating items like robust self-help sections to their websites,
and they should also use communication channels like Twitter, live
chat and email (which are usually more cost effective than voice
support to deploy because of concurrency). But as is the case with
Zappos, there is no replacement for the service that can be achieved
through voice support. The experience is unparalleled, and for more
complicated support issues it is the only viable channel that can be
used to adequately understand and address a customers needs.
Although a lot of startups are finding the initial cost savings of self-
service tools appealing, as these companies mature, if they hope to
develop a long term and re-occurring customer base they are going to
have to invest in multi-channel customer service which is anchored by
traditional phone support. Simply put, customer’s expectations are
higher than ever, and consumers expect a multitude of contact options
so they can interact with a company in the way they feel most
comfortable.
To conclude, I think self-service is here to stay, and I think it works
amazingly well for simple customer services issues. In these
challenging economic times, the technologies discussed will also help
businesses to reduce their overall customer service expenditures. With
that being said, call deflection can only be taken so far. For companies
that care about their brand and their overall customer experience,
there will always be a need and a role for the kind and caring customer
service representative who is available to speak with consumers by
phone.
Tim Peters
Call Center Outsourcing Consultant
1.800.586.1535