Self-service portals are innovative solutions for addressing customer needs. Generally, these portals are websites offering resources, information, and tools to help customers find support and answers to their questions with ease.
As a business owner, you may wonder how a self-service portal can benefit your customers. This article will discuss five ways these self-help services can help you improve your relationship with customers and enhance their online experience.
1. Offers a personalized customer experience
Self-service portals are highly personalized and customizable. Thanks to innovative technology, these portals can quickly draw from a customer’s past shopping experiences and problems to point them in the right direction.
For example, if a customer has previously had issues with processing payments, the self-service portal will automatically display FAQ, resources, and solutions related to payment processing.
These portals can also keep track of a customer’s previous purchases, which is a feature many modern consumers have come to expect. The portal can then make relevant recommendations related to the customer’s unique needs and interests.
2. Allows for easy training
If a customer has trouble completing a certain task, a self-service portal can provide quick, simple training sessions to help them solve their problem independently.
Self-service portals aren’t like the basic FAQs and wordy help manuals of the past. You can now create guides and tutorials using all kinds of media, including video training sessions and visual diagrams.
Let’s say a customer is unsure about how to apply a discount code to their order. You could include a short guide within your business’s self-service portal, complete with clear screenshots and a video tutorial about adding discount codes.
3. Creates a sense of community
Self-service portals provide a space for customers to interact and discuss their unique needs with other members of the online community.
For example, if you include a forum within your self-service portal, customers will be able to pose questions to community members and receive a quick, effective response.
4. Helps customers access information fast
Traditionally, customers would have to pick up the phone, send an email, or flip through a complex user guide to find answers to their questions. These methods take time and energy, often leading to more confusion.
Using a self-service portal, customers can access clear, relevant solutions at the click of a button. They’ll get their answer in record time, boosting their perception of your business.
5. Teaches customers new skills
When using your self-service portal—either by reading through the FAQ or watching a quick video tutorial—customers can pick up new skills to help them browse through the online world.
This improved understanding will lead to better shopping experiences for customers and—as a result—more sales for your business.
Conclusion
Implementing a self-service portal is a quick, simple, and affordable way to improve the customer experience. By collating crucial self-help functions, tools, and resources in one place, you’ll make it easier for customers to get the information they need.
In turn, you’ll reduce the load on your service team, lift employee morale, and drive more sales for your business.