How AI-driven self-service is transforming customer interactions

Reading time: 2 minutes | Liever in het Nederlands lezen?

Customer expectations are changing at lightning speed. Consumers want to be served quickly, clearly and personally. On every channel. Whether they are using an app, contacting via the website or sending a message via chat.

For organizations, this is quite a challenge. Because how do you keep the quality of your customer contact high, without being saddled with sky-high costs? Self-service with smart deployment of AI can be a solution. But how do you make sure it really works for your customers?

The power of self-service in AI customer service

Self-service has long since ceased to be a nice-to-have. It is an integral part of the customer experience. Customers want to be able to arrange things themselves, preferably at their convenience. But companies do not want to or cannot have a team ready 24/7. 

With the right deployment of self-service in chatbots, you can facilitate that well. Customers get quick answers to their questions, can perform simple tasks independently and are guided to the right solution. This ensures satisfied customers and less pressure on your customer contact center.

But beware: not every solution immediately delivers better service.

Where it can go wrong

Many chatbots get stuck in giving information rather than resolving issues. The customer does get an answer, but still has to call, email or chat with a live agent themselves to get something taken care of. That feels like a waste of time, and it is.

Other common misses:

• The bot doesn't understand the question, or sends the customer from pillar to post.
• There are no clear buttons or choices, so the customer doesn't know what's possible.
• The bot does not have access to customer data and therefore gives generic answers.
• At each step, the customer has to re-enter their data.
• There is no smooth transition to an employee when needed.

Recognizable? Then it's time to go back to the drawing board.

Smart self-service is not about digitizing your FAQ. It's about allowing customers to take care of things themselves - as easily as in an app or a user portal. A good bot doesn't ask questions it could have already known the answer to. It recognizes a logged-in customer, offers relevant options and handles the question directly.

An AI-driven approach to smart self-service

Self-service only really works when customers can arrange things themselves. Without waiting and without detours. And without having to repeat their question over and over again. Seamly makes that possible.

You deploy our technology on top of your existing systems, so you don't have to replace anything. Do you already have a chatbot? Then we'll make sure that chatbot not only answers questions, but actually does something for your customers. Or rather, that your customers can do something. Think of buttons that allow customers to change their address, reschedule an appointment or directly arrange a payment. Simple, fast and fully automatic.

Seamly retrieves customer data in real time and makes it immediately available in the chatbot. This allows you to automate processes that normally go through an employee. Think of:

• Uploading files (such as an invoice or claim form)
• Changing customer data
• Adjust payment or delivery times
• Retrieve complaint status
• View contract details

The bot not only responds smartly, but also personally. It recognizes who the customer is, what products or services they use and what has been previously discussed. So Seamly doesn't add another layer of “AI,” but rather makes your existing customer contact smarter, faster and more scalable.

And if things get a little too complex? Then the bot automatically switches to an employee - with all the relevant context. That way you avoid frustration and the customer experience remains smooth.

Make sure your chatbot does more than just talk.Let it actually take work off your hands.

The benefits of Seamly at a glance

With smart self-service through Seamly, you achieve:

• Higher customer satisfaction: customers get immediate answers and don't have to wait for an employee.
• Lower costs: a portion of customer queries are handled automatically, reducing the pressure on your customer contact center.
• Seamless omnichannel experience: customers can receive the same service through any channel, without losing context.

Ready for smart self-service?

The future of customer contact is personal, fast and scalable. AI and self-service make that possible. And Seamly helps you take that next step - without the need to move to new systems. Wondering what that looks like for your organization? Get in touch with us. We'd love to think with you.