Progress is a word we hear a lot in the business world. We all understand how important it is to keep innovating, to secure the future of our businesses and improve upon the experience we are able to offer our customers. But what does progress look like in a customer service context? To answer that question, we must understand how self-service has defined industries both past and present, and how it continues to shape the future.
Supermarkets
One amazing change that self-service has brought to modern life is the ability to shop for our own groceries. Walking into our favorite store and choosing what we want to buy directly from the shelves may be a convenience we take for granted, but this simple solution wouldn’t become available to consumers until the early 20th century.
Before the invention of the self-service grocery store, shops hired employees to retrieve items from store shelves and package them individually for customers. This process was not only slow, but involved extra costs, as businesses were obliged to hire staff to do a job which most customers would prefer to do themselves.
This changed when businessman Clarence Saunders opened his first Piggly Wiggly supermarket in 1916. This business model quickly became a huge success, selling $80,000 more than typical stores did in the same amount of time and reducing operation costs by two thirds.
Resistance to change
Despite the obvious advantages to switching to a self-service model, certain store owners resisted the change, concerned about higher rates of theft as well as uncertainty over return of investment. However, those who did switch quickly realized that the new model paid off, as the extra cost to implement security and anti-theft measures was returned in labor savings and increased consumer spending.
Not only was self-service able to change the way we shop for our basic necessities, but it continues to revolutionize the customer experience across industries, businesses, and consumer demographics. Constant demand for more and better self-service technologies has led self-service to develop from a simple concept into a successful industry of its own.
Much as store owners of the 20th century saw massive growth in their industry, businesses of this century have achieved similar results by implementing the new generation of technology: self-service kiosks, digital payment options, ATMs, and more. As the writer George Bernard Shaw once said, "Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything."
Today's customer
Today’s customer has high expectations, and it is crucial for institutions to evaluate whether they are able to meet these demands. According to a 2019 survey, 85% of companies say that customer satisfaction is their primary means of driving growth, and in today’s digital world this means providing timely and convenient service.
Consumers expect 24-hour service on demand, a personalized experience, and easy access to the information they need to solve problems and make purchasing decisions. These things are nearly impossible to provide with a traditional business model that only involves human staff and in-person options.
Sticking with traditional service options in the digital age is the equivalent of past grocery businesses refusing to allow customers to shop for themselves. Instead, businesses must set a standard for excellence and meet the demands of the modern consumer.
Recent consumer surveys demonstrate that self-service options are a major component of customer satisfaction, which is a huge driver of growth no matter the industry. Self-service creates time savings for the customer, makes them feel more at ease, helps to reduce waiting time, and creates a personalized experience. All of these benefits can be achieved without the need to involve company talent in tasks which can be automated, thereby reducing business costs.
Self-service solutions
It’s clear that self-service technology has the power to transform industries. But how can your business adapt to these changing times and provide the experience your customers expect?
Interlogic® can help your company become more profitable and efficient with our range of self-service solutions designed to create an amazing customer experience. We have the tools you need to stay ahead of the next self-service revolution: interactive kiosks, ATMs, safe deposit boxes, and secure payment applications and software.
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