As the availability of customer service contact channels increases, customers are engaging with nontraditional, digital service options as often, if not more so, as their service agent counterparts. Last year—for the first time ever—Web self-service surpassed telephone service as the No. 1 customer service channel among U.S. adults. As current consumers adapt to self-service and communication channels broaden further, self-service and customer communities will only increase as an avenue for customer resolution, especially among Millennials, whose desire to solve problems on their own will bolster self-service portals and brand loyalty.

In the contact center, a move to self-service can create growing pains. Customer service organizations accustomed to traditional service channels might balk a bit at a more informal, networked approach to serving their customers. The good news is the shift to self-service pays off: self-service and communities give customers greater access to information that is immediate, insightful and—in some cases—emotional, building connection and creating customer loyalty.

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