Workflow Automation

Customer service workflow automation uses technology to automate repetitive and manual tasks in a specific business process or workflow. Workflow automation aims to reduce human error, increase efficiency, and improve overall productivity. 

One of the most effective workflow automation methods in customer service is offering customers digital self-service experiences on demand. The user can access these experiences through a customer portal, as a visual option in an IVR menu, or upon request to a live customer service agent. The link appears on a webpage or is sent to the customer via SMS. 

Clicking on the workflow automation software link opens a purpose-built mini-application that often includes an online form. The application can safely and securely provide the necessary information or answers by verifying the customer's identity and collecting appropriate inputs. 

Customer service workflow automation reduces the cost and complexity of customer service to the organization and accelerates resolution for the customer. Many customers – especially younger customers who grew up with digital – prefer digital self-service experiences to wait for live agent support.

Read a post about the benefits of digital forms and workflow automation. 

The main difference between standard customer service and customer service, including workflow automation, is that the latter incorporates technology to streamline and automate some aspects of the customer service process. This is fundamental to process automation.

Ordinary customer service involves using human agents to assist customers with their inquiries, complaints, and other issues. These agents are responsible for answering phone calls, responding to emails and chat messages, and providing personalized support to customers. The process is entirely manual, and the speed and quality of service depend on the efficiency and expertise of the agents.

On the other hand, customer service with workflow automation uses technology to automate some aspects of the customer service process. This may involve using chatbots or virtual assistants to handle routine inquiries, using AI to identify and categorize customer complaints and questions, and delivering purpose-built applications for digital self-service usage. 

By automating some parts of the customer service process, businesses can reduce response times, increase efficiency, and provide a more consistent customer experience. Additionally, workflow automation can free human agents to focus on more complex and challenging customer issues, which may require a more personalized approach.

Read a post about the benefits of digital forms. 

The main difference between digital self-service forms and chatbots is how they interact with customers.

Digital self-service forms are typically online forms that customers can fill out themselves to request information, make a purchase, or complete a transaction. These automation tool forms may include drop-down menus, checkboxes, and text boxes to collect customer information and allow customers to select from predefined options. Self-service forms do not allow for conversation or dynamic interaction with the customer but are crafted to be simple and straightforward. 

On the other hand, chatbots are computer programs that simulate human conversation using natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Chatbots can answer customer questions, provide information, and even help customers complete transactions in a conversational and interactive way. Chatbots can understand and respond to natural language queries and can be programmed to provide answers to multiple questions and needs.

The challenge of automated workflow chatbots is that they are only as powerful as the questions and answers they are programmed to address. If the customer cannot communicate their need effectively or asks for something the chatbot is not programmed to provide, the user can feel frustrated. By contrast, well-designed digital-forms-based workflow automation offers easy-to-use applications focused on an individual use case. So long as an experience is developed for each common use case, such forms can provide a great customer experience and speed users to the information and answers they seek.

Read a post about the many benefits of forms-based workflow automation. 

Customer service workflow automation can be beneficial to customers when implemented correctly. Customers appreciate efficient, consistent, and timely responses to their inquiries and complaints, and automation can help achieve this.

However, customers may not appreciate customer service workflow automation if it lacks personalization or makes it challenging to choose live agent support. If chatbots or digital self-service applications cannot answer customer inquiries appropriately, customers may become frustrated and dissatisfied with the service. 

It is essential to balance automation and human interaction, allowing customers to easily access automated services while still having the option to interact with human employee agents when needed. Additionally, ensure that workflow management automation technology is regularly maintained, updated, and optimized to meet customer needs and expectations.

Read about the value customer experience automation brings to the call center.

Digital self-service forms from workflow software can help contact centers in several ways. First, they streamline the customer service process and reduce the need for a manual process. By providing customers with an online form to fill out, contact centers can streamline the customer service process and reduce the time it takes to resolve inquiries or requests. Digital self-service forms can automate many routine customer service tasks, allowing agents to handle more complex or sensitive customer issues.

Second, forms-based digital workflow automation can reduce call volume by substituting automation workflow logic.. Self-service forms reduce the number of calls or emails contact centers receive by allowing customers to quickly and easily find answers to common questions or complete transactions online. This reduces call volume and allows agents to focus on more complex inquiries.

Self-service forms and workflow automation as part of an automated process can also improve data accuracy. Digital self-service forms can improve data entry accuracy by ensuring customer information is collected consistently and standardized. This reduces errors and eliminates the need for agents to enter customer data into their systems manually.

Finally, workflow automation that uses digital forms can increase customer satisfaction. Contact centers can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty by providing customers with a convenient and easy-to-use online form to address their needs. Customers appreciate the ability to quickly and easily find answers to their questions or complete transactions without waiting on hold or navigating complicated phone menus.

Read about the value customer experience automation brings to the call center.

Digital self-service workflow automation can help reduce strain on call centers in several ways. Top of the list is reducing call volumes. By offering self-service options such as online forms or automated chatbots, customers can get the information they need without reaching out to the call center. This reduces the volume of calls that agents need to handle, freeing up their time to focus on more complex inquiries and providing more personalized support.

Digital self-service workflow automation can also provide customers instant solutions to their inquiries or issues. For example, a digital self-service form can eliminate the need for human interaction for customer questions. Such a form can be delivered on a website, customer portal, mobile app, or as an on-demand visual IVR option in an automated phone tree. This reduces wait times and lets customers quickly get the help they need without waiting on hold.

Forms-based applications can also augment first-call resolution: With the help of automation, customers can quickly find the information they need to resolve their issues, which reduces the need for follow-up calls or inquiries. This helps improve first-call resolution, a key metric for call center efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Digital self-service workflow automation can also simplify the process of getting help or information, making it easier for customers to find what they need without having to navigate complicated phone menus or wait on hold for extended periods. Additionally, data prove that many customers, especially younger customers, prefer digital self-service options to agent-led support calls. That means that digital self-service workflow automation can also improve customer satisfaction levels. 

Another benefit of customer service workflow automation is to streamline document management, Workflow automation tools can be developed to collect data and then output it to customers and internal teams via enterprise workflow automation PDF development. 

Read how workflow automation helps improve FCR. 

Customer service workflow automation can be highly beneficial to a company’s ability to deliver excellent customer service cost-effectively and consistently. This is true for both simple and complex workflows. Forms-based digital customer service applications and approval workflows are an excellent way to secure these benefits.

First, digital self-service applications drive improved efficiency. Automation can help streamline customer service processes, reduce manual tasks, and enable faster response times to customer inquiries or issues. This leads to more efficient operations and quicker issue resolution. It also lowers operational costs and ensures smooth data integration. Second, automation can ensure consistency in customer service delivery by standardizing responses and ensuring that every customer inquiry or issue is handled in the same way. This helps to build trust and credibility with customers, who expect a consistent experience from a brand.

Automation can also help personalize customer interactions by using customer data to customize responses or recommend solutions. This creates a more personalized experience for customers without requiring human intervention. The personalization available through customer and business process automation ensures people feel their needs are being understood and addressed. Digital self-service automation can also collect and analyze customer inquiries, preferences, and behavior data, providing insights that can help improve customer service delivery. Companies can use this data to identify trends, optimize their operations, and make data-driven decisions to improve customer satisfaction.

Learn the language of call avoidance and call deflection in our handy glossary.

The number of call center calls that can be controlled with digital self-service workflow automation varies depending on the specific company and the nature of customer inquiries. However, studies have shown that companies implementing self-service options can see a significant reduction in call volume.

FICX works with many companies that deploy workflow automation and digital forms to help divert straightforward customer queries to digital self-service experiences. With a typical success story, about 30% of calls for a specific topic or need can be deflected or diverted in the first year of deployment. This figure rises to 80-90% by the end of year two as more customers become familiar with the experience. Over time, adoption rates rise more quickly because consumers using digital self-service forms to interact with other businesses adopt new experiences more readily. 

Depending on the size of your call volumes, it is not unheard of to save millions of dollars annually – some save tens of millions! Moreover, customer satisfaction scores rise as your support costs fall because the customers get answers more quickly and easily. 

Read how digital workflow automation and self-service can reduce call volumes. 

Here are some examples of self-service processes successfully implemented by many companies as part of workflow automation strategies.

• Update Info on File: This is a classic example of a task that does not require the involvement of an agent.
• Balance and Payment Info: Even if your existing audio-only IVR system has a process for addressing these questions, providing visual options via SMS link could drive higher call diversion rates and improved satisfaction. 
• Make a Payment: Few audio IVRs tackle this use case well; it is challenging for many customers to complete all the necessary steps in an audio-only environment. With a digital forms application, it is incredibly straightforward. 
• Vacation Notices: Many banks encourage customers to notify them of upcoming travel plans to add additional security for credit cards and other accounts. 
• Insurance First Notice of Loss: When customers make a claim, much of the requested information is at least as quickly delivered via a visual interface as over the phone with an agent. Further, many customers prefer to perform the maximum number of tasks via self-service. 
• Apply Online: Many customers could quickly onboard for products and services with a digital self-service option. While live rep interactions better serve some sales processes, others are so straightforward that a DIY approach could help boost completion rates, conversion counts, and revenue. 
• Service Changes: Customers could easily adjust the level of service (e.g., monthly minutes for a cellular plan) by reviewing a visual comparison and selecting in a digital form.

Read our blog post on top use cases by industry.

There are several key metrics that can be used to measure the effectiveness of digital self-service experiences for customer service:

• Self-service success rate: This metric measures the percentage of customers who successfully resolved their issue using the self-service option without contacting a customer service representative.
• Time to resolution: This metric measures how long it takes a customer to resolve their issue through self-service. A shorter time to resolution indicates that the self-service experience is efficient and effective.
• Customer satisfaction: This metric measures customers' satisfaction with their self-service experience. It can be measured through surveys or other feedback mechanisms.
• First contact resolution rate: This metric measures the percentage of customer issues resolved on the first interaction with the company, whether through self-service or a customer service representative.
• Customer effort score: This metric measures the ease of use of the self-service experience and the level of effort required by the customer to find the information or solution they need.
• Abandonment rate: This metric measures the percentage of customers who start but do not complete the self-service process. A high abandonment rate may indicate that the self-service experience is confusing or difficult to navigate.

By tracking these key metrics, companies can identify areas where their digital self-service experiences can be improved and optimize the customer service experience.

Read more about measurement and omnichannel self-service.

The team at FICX would be pleased to share a demo of digital forms and workplace automation technology.  Just fill out this form or visit the FICX homepage.