Customer self-service software provides a platform for end users, prospects, or customers to access information and perform tasks without the need for live chat or customer support representatives. Companies utilize these tools to provide around-the-clock support for customers and website visitors to find information or troubleshoot product issues on their own. By empowering users to resolve issues quickly and independently, self-service solutions enhance customer satisfaction and improve service agents’ productivity.
Customer self-service is a common feature of help desk software. These products provide support in a variety of ways. Most solutions enable businesses to create branded knowledge bases or help centers where customers can browse tutorials and articles that answer frequently asked questions (FAQs). Many products also offer tools for creating digital chatbots, which integrate with live chat software and other digital channels to interact with customers, resolve simple requests, and answer commonly asked questions. Similarly, some customer self-service tools enable businesses to build and deploy voice chatbots (also known as conversational IVR) to provide self-service options to customers over the phone. Contextual guidance solutions, such as digital adoption platforms, offer on-screen guidance to help customers complete tasks without the assistance of a customer support agent.
To qualify for inclusion in the Customer Self-Service category, a product must:
Provide information to customers without human interaction
Assist end users in completing common tasks
Provide 24-hour support to customers seeking assistance
Organize and distribute information for commonly asked questions
