[{"@context":"http:\/\/schema.org","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/09\/customer-self-service\/#Article","articleBody":"Having a dedicated page on a website or a portal where customers can sign in and execute certain tasks has become standard for utilities. Today, utilities must move beyond standard customer self service in order to truly meet customer needs.\nSelf-service has become so standard for utilities that it\u2019s considered practically moribund in the industry. It\u2019s time to bring it to life with innovation that offers more valuable interactions that put customers first.\nWhat is customer self service?\nCustomer self-service is proactive, modern service for the 67% of customers who prefer to find solutions on their own, rather than contacting a company for assistance.\nBy allowing customers the ability to answer questions and solve support issues independently \u2013 rather than needing to schedule a time or wait for a rep \u2013 it makes life easier on both consumers and customer service professionals.\nCustomer self service offers a plethora of solutions:\u00a0\nThe ability to find answers to common questions\nDirecting customers to online tutorials or instruction manuals\nSupport content for a host of different customer needs\nProvides quick and easy service solutions for consumers\nReduces work load of customer service reps, who can dedicate their time to more complex cases\nThe problem with customer self-service for utilities\nMost customer self-service sites focus on the utilities and their processes. They capture meter readings and save money by allowing customers to download invoices and find information on their own and instead of calling the utility.\nThese customer self-service sites are functional and serve a purpose, but mainly benefit the utilities themselves. Customers won\u2019t have much reason to visit the site, unless they have a special need to download an invoice.\nIt\u2019s not a secret that customer behavior, in both B2C and B2B environments, has changed in the last decade. Everyone expects easy-to-use software when interacting with businesses. We all have packed days and are mindful of how we spend our time.\nBe honest: How much time do you set aside for your utilities? I don\u2019t invest any time with my provider. Moreover, when I try to login into customer self-service, I never know the username or the password. So, why bother going there?\nNext-gen utility customer self-service\nA handful of innovative utilities, mainly in the B2C retail space, have set up what I refer to as \u201cself-service+.\u201d They combine standard self-service functions with new features that actually motivate customers to be on the site more often. They\u2019ve boosted their customer self-service offerings, converting them in part to engagement portals.\nSome utilities have incorporated gamification by offering customers a bonus every time they log into self-service. The bonus could be news, advice, a fun fact, or points they can redeem for prizes.\nFor example, Mercury in New Zealand gives customers the chance to earn loyalty points that can be converted into cash and other rewards. Customers can choose certain targets, like walking a certain number of steps within a set timeframe, to earn points.\nA utility in the UK introduced a \u201cspin the wheel of fortune\u201d mechanism to encourage timely monthly meter readings from customers. The feature, which gives customers the chance to win prizes such as free electricity or merchandise, was so successful that customers inquired about spinning the wheel more often.\nMake it mobile, effortless, and secure \nSelf-service+ achieves many goals, whether that\u2019s:\n1. selling more\n2. building customer loyalty\n3. reducing churn\nUtilities need to create more valuable ways to interact with their customers, not only to increase margins and revenue, but to stay relevant in a competitive market.\nPrice comparison webpages like Verivox or Check24 have become go-to places for finding suppliers. But those sites are driven purely by low prices, razor-thin margins, and switch bonuses. A utility that can structure their self-service portal to actually serve customer needs, not just their own, will stand out and be valued by customers.\nPressed for time, customers won\u2019t be inclined to carve out a piece for their utility, especially if there\u2019s no added value. This value needs to be available whenever and however customers need it; this means mobile access.\nPersonally, I won\u2019t turn on my computer in the evening, but I keep my smartphone with me.\nWhatever\u2019s offered needs to be fast, secure, and entertaining. And it begins with the login. I can\u2019t remember my utility self-service credentials, but I do know my Google login. So please let me link my social login, so that it\u2019s hassle free.\nIt\u2019s not easy to steer a whole company into the customer-first mindset, but direct customer touch points like self-service provide the most effective and noticeable change.\nCustomer self-service the way we know it now needs to die so that it can rise from the ashes even stronger!\nWant more retail e-commerce trends? Get them HERE.","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/09\/customer-self-service\/#Article_Person","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/09\/customer-self-service\/#Article_Person_ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Florian-Fro\u0308mberg-150x150.jpg"},"name":"Florian Fromberg","sameAs":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/florian-fr%C3%B6mberg-8207751a\/","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/contributor\/florian-fromberg\/"},"dateModified":"2021-11-01T18:43:01+00:00","datePublished":"2020-12-09T12:00:17+00:00","description":"Utilities need to take customer self service beyond the basics with innovative, value-added features that put customers first.","headline":"Customer self service + utilities: Definition, benefits, pitfalls","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/09\/customer-self-service\/#Article_ImageObject","height":"630","url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/FCEE68_Utilities_HB-1200x630.jpg","width":"1200"},"mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/09\/customer-self-service\/","name":"Customer self service + utilities: Definition, benefits, pitfalls","publisher":{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/","additionalType":"https:\/\/www.wikidata.org\/wiki\/Q1193236","description":"Relevant, timely information & analysis on commerce trends, both consumer-facing and B2B.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","height":"96","url":"https:\/\/23x6xj3o92m9361dbu2ij362-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/themes\/hybris_foc\/assets\/images\/layout\/logo-new-2x.png?_=1","width":"500"},"name":"The Future of Customer Engagement and Experience","sameAs":["https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/a-call-for-a-better-experience\/id1479742201","https:\/\/twitter.com\/FutureOfCEC","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/groups\/4844282","https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/feed\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/"},"url":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/09\/customer-self-service\/#Article"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"2020","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"12","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/12\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"09","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/\/12\/\/09\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Customer self service + utilities: Definition, benefits, pitfalls","item":"https:\/\/www.the-future-of-commerce.com\/2020\/12\/09\/customer-self-service\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]