Today’s self-service is becoming more and more prevalent, spreading across channels from  web to voice to text to social. It’s a powerful, flexible form of service that more customers are using and businesses are adopting. In fact, over 50% of businesses today are using self-service, and 64% plan to invest in and extend it to other channels (texting, anyone?)

At OneReach, we think self-service is a valuable tool that not only cuts costs but increases customer satisfaction. By adding self-service (and automation to speed up resolution time), businesses can receive a great ROI and empower customers with quick and easy service experiences.

Check out these insights on the growth of self-service today (and beyond)!

1. Over 50% of customers think it’s important to solve product issues themselves rather than rely on customer service. (Zendesk)
2. Self-service usage increased from 67% in 2012 to 76% in 2014. (Forrester)
3. 45% of companies offering web or mobile self-service have reported an increase in site traffic and a decrease in phone calls. (Destination CRM)
4. A chat with a live agent can cost $6-12 per interaction, while an automated interaction on the IVR (or ITR) can cost as little as 25 cents. (Forrester)
5. 40% of customers prefer self-service to human contact. (Steven Van Belleghem)
6. The IVR makes up 27% of all calls in the contact center, but only 7% of companies offer an IVR solution that delivers a better experience than live agents. (JD Power & Associates)
7. By adding self-service, a typical utility could see $1-3 million in annual savings. (Accenture)
8. By this year, 50% of online customer self-service tasks will be performed by virtual agents. (Gartner)
9. 70% of customers prefer to use a company’s website to get answers to their questions rather than use phone or email. (Forrester)
10. By 2020, the customer will manage 85% of the relationship with an enterprise without interacting with a human. (Gartner)

What’s your take on self-service? Does it get you the answers you need, or do you end up frustrated? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to download our ebook on the use of texting for customer (self)-service!

Photo by FirmBee.