The power of self-serving customers

Customer expectations have changed. We still love the personal touch and want the ability to speak to a human when we need to, but we also like having a self-serve option.

Think about how you interact with your bank, your favourite retailer, or your local council. The days of standing in line to open a new account, return purchased items or waiting on hold to speak to a council representative about a missed bin or anti-social behaviour are long gone.

Today, we have the power to apply for a credit card, download and print return labels, or contact your council about your bins all from the comfort of your home with a laptop or smart phone.  

From a customer’s perspective, being able to self-serve means not having to listen to call-waiting music on repeat or wait patiently until we get our turn at the front of the queue. It means we are empowered to carry out tasks at a time and pace that’s convenient for us.

And yet, so many businesses still don’t offer self-serve options. They still use antiquated systems and inefficient processes, causing unnecessary headaches for customers and employees alike.   After reading this guide you should see how the customer experience improves in combination with a more streamlined back-office through implementing a customer portal.

How can you enable customers to self-serve?

A client or customer portal is a secure online platform that lets your customers interact digitally with your business or organisation.

It can be used to enable customers to make payments, submit information or get status updates online. It can be used to provide information, communicate with customers or share files. Or it can be used for all of the above. The great thing about a client portal is it can be built to meet the needs of your business and your customers.

By giving customers digital access to your business via a customer portal, they can interact with you from any device, at any location, at any time.  This allows your business to be reachable 24/7 without staff needing to be available around the clock.

Benefits of a self-serving customer portal

Not only does a customer portal allow you to operate outside normal working hours and make life more convenient for your customers, but it also offers many other benefits.

Remain competitive in your marketplace

Perhaps you want to get ahead of the competition by offering your customers more online options and greater flexibility. Or maybe you’re lagging behind competitors who have already embraced the digital world. Either way, a customer portal helps you remain competitive.  

Reduce employee workload

Take away unnecessary tasks and reduce the pressure on your customer service teams and account managers. Give customers access to the information they need and allow them to raise tickets, submit enquiries or make payments without clogging up your phone lines.  

Increase security

Paper forms can easily be lost, stolen or misplaced, while emails can be hacked. Your customer portal can utilise the latest encryption and security software to protect sensitive information and minimise the risk of it getting into the wrong hands.

Keep customers informed

Customers need flexibility. They need to be able to access information on demand. A customer portal allows them to access the information they need when they need it and enables you to send notifications whenever there are important updates.

Improve customer experience

As well as making life easier and more convenient for your customers, by reducing their reliance on staff availability, self-serving customers can access the information they need and interact accordingly with great speed and accuracy. You can streamline and automate processes, providing a more efficient and hassle-free service. In essence, the customer experience become frictionless and up-to-date (in comparison with other modern businesses).

Automate and integrate

A customer portal can be integrated with your existing software or systems to increase efficiency, create automated workflows and reduce duplication of tasks. Get access to real-time data and generate reports on key performance areas of your business so you can make more informed business decisions. 

Reduce costs and increase profits Better customer experience means better retention and more repeat business, which means higher turnover. Plus, the time you free up by allowing customers to self-serve can be allocated towards more profitable tasks. And automated systems reduce the risk of human error, helping reduce the costs involved with rectifying mistakes.   

Things to consider when choosing client portal software

Functionality

The most important consideration should always be functionality. There’s no point investing heavily in software that isn’t fit for purpose. Take some time to understand what you need your customer portal to do so you can ensure the best experience for its users – customers and employees.

However, most importantly think about what your customers want, so talk to them… “if we made this available would you use it”?  Also think about the outcomes your business would like – what data would add real value to your business if you could access it at a click of a button.

Customisation

If you’re selecting off-the-shelf solutions, you need to know which elements can be customised to ensure it’s the right fit. Customisation isn’t just about being able to add your logo – it’s about enabling functionalities that are relevant to your business, so you’re not paying for features you’ll never use and being able to update or remove content whenever necessary for a select group of, if not all, users.

Security

Every business is at risk of cybercrime, so it’s imperative you choose a solution that mitigates risk as much as possible. Whether you opt for plug-and-play software or a custom-built solution, check the security is up to scratch.   

Ease of use

If your customer portal is difficult to use, customers won’t use it. So no matter how many features or functions you want your customer portal to include, ensure they are built with the user in mind. Ensure that the front end looks like something you would intuitively be able to navigate, and that it is easily accessible across a variety of devices.

Ongoing support

An off-the-shelf solution might require a smaller upfront investment than something more bespoke, but does the package include ongoing support and maintenance? Software requires regular updates to keep it operating at its best. Plus, it’s always good to have IT support available should you experience any issues with your portal.

Scalability

You don’t want to invest in something that will be defunct within twelve months, so ensure you choose an option that can be scaled as your needs change. At :Automate, we build all our solutions with our customers’ future plans in mind so they can be scaled as required.

Why :Automate?

:Automate helps business owners avoid lower-value tasks and longer working hours by seamlessly joining the workflow dots throughout the business. 

We look at the areas of your business that can be automated and then create the software to do it. Everything is created to fit with the way your business works and can be scaled up as your business grows or evolves.

Book a free discovery call to find out how we can help improve efficiency within your business.

If you’d like to discuss your options, book a free discovery meeting to find out how we can help you.