I would simply start with the fact that the technology behind self-service support is easy to put in place and appreciated by many users.
For this discussion, let’s take a mobile phone provider’s call centre. When you call their customer service 1-800 number, you get prompted for your 10-digit phone number.
When the phone number is keyed in, a link is done between the mobile company databases (billing, options, etc) to the phone system also known as the IVR. (Interactive Voice Response). From your phone you can verify your account balance, pay your invoice, add options, etc.
Another self-service medium would be the mobile’s company web site. From the web site, you can login and access your account information and make changes to your account.
We need to understand that for the mobile company to offer self-service is cheaper than having real agents answer the calls and often provide the same information as the IVR or the web site. With self-service, the mobile company doesn’t have to worry about operating hours (the web site and IVR are available 24/7) and they don’t need to worry about the AHT.
The self-service has many benefits, but also a major down side. Having your customer live on the phone is a business opportunity and should be used as an opportunity. Your agents need to understand that.
This is one of the reasons why many call centres split their phone queues based on the type of customer. For example, in the IVR, based on the mobile phone number entered, a decisions is taken based on the monthly charges on the account. Some call centres would route the call directly to an agent if the customer is spending more than 500$ for example.
Tip: You want to speak with a live agent as soon as possible? Do not enter anything in the IVR. Not even language selection. In that case, many call centres route the call directly to a live agent based on the regional laws around customer service to provide service to houses with old rotary phones…