Seeing The E-Services Big Picture: Online Self-Service Can Pay Huge Dividends, But Requires More Than Simple Automation

"Emerging self-service technologies, such as automated e-mail response, natural language search and knowledge taxonomies, will improve specific aspects of the automation process. Other technologies such as text chat, voice over IP, 'call me back' requests, customer support automation and basic application integration will ease technology integration."

At least that's how the analysts at Gartner, Inc. viewed e-services back in December 2002, having conducted a study on the customer self-service movement. And though automation taking over for contact center agents was still in its business infancy in 2002, there was little reason to think such analyst forecasts wouldn't come to fruition.
At the same time Gartner and other industry forecasters stepped up their focus on self-service trends, multichannel and IP technologies were making waves in business communications circles. Therefore, the verdict more than three years ago that technology integration would eventually enhance e-services automation was a reasonable one.
As it turns out, the folks at Gartner were absolutely prophetic, particularly in their assessment about self-service technology and integration. Since their respective introductions, technologies such as multichannel communications, e-mail response automation, Web text chat and VoIP have continued to come together rather nicely. The business side of the e-services prophecy also is coming true in that many companies are finally beginning to understand the implications of consumers wanting service on their terms - that is, using their media of choice.
The Myths Of E-Services

Customers and tunnel vision aside, many organizations see e-services as being somewhat experimental. "Let's try this self-service thing in Department A first, and if it works, extend it to Department B, then Department C," etc. This kind of corporate thinking also tends to spawn other myths that presume self-service automation is:

* A quick and easy solution to keep up with competitors;

* A one-size-fits-all process that suits all customers and their needs;

* A means by which to reduce live interactions and eliminate agents; and

* The best way to reduce departmental costs.

The truth is this: Web self-service provides a significant opportunity for any business to both retain current customers and attract new ones - but only if an organization views e-services automation from the outside in, and implements a strategy for self-service continuity throughout the company. In other words, instead of looking at self-service as a competitive quick fix or a way to reduce one department's expenses, companies must be ready and able to deploy the online and associated multichannel options their customers want, and do so enterprisewide.

Covering Every Channel

Along with traditional phone, fax and voice mail avenues, today's consumer wants online self-service options to verify a current balance with accounting, to access a technical fix posted from tech support, and to get an automatic response to their e-mail inquiry and seamlessly place a product order with sales. Of course, Web strategies can be implemented incrementally, taking the "Department A, Department B, Department C" route if necessary, although the ultimate objective must be to ultimately extend every interaction type across the organization. Moreover, any e-services objective must be clearly presented to customers and employees alike. That means senior managers, as the analysts at Gartner said, should be willing to retool internal priorities, business rule processes and management responsibilities to make sure their e-services implementation covers every customer service base and interaction type.