Customer self-service is no longer a “nice to have” – it’s expected. But when poorly designed, it can frustrate customers instead of helping them.
The best self-service experiences feel effortless, intuitive, and data-driven, allowing customers to solve problems quickly without getting stuck in endless menus.
So, how can contact centres create self-service that genuinely works for customers and teams alike?
To find out, we asked Jonathan Kenu Escobedo, Customer Success Manager at MiaRec, to explain how contact centres can build self-service that really works.
Video: Get Self-Service Right: Update Your Self-Service Options as Customer Needs Evolve
Watch the video below to hear Jonathan explain what contact centres can do to get self-service right and why ensuring self-service options are updated as customer needs evolve matters:
With thanks to Jonathan Kenu Escobedo, Customer Success Manager at MiaRec, for contributing to this video.
This video was originally published in our article ‘How to Create a “Win-Win” Self-Service Strategy’
How to Build Self-Service That Actually Works
Great self-service is informed, intuitive, and always improving, and by grounding your approach in real customer insights, choosing the right mix of automation and human support, and continuously refining based on data, you’ll create self-service experiences that actually work.
To help get you started we’ve put together three ways to design and implement self-service that works:
1. Identify Common Call Reasons
The first step in building effective self-service is understanding why customers are reaching out in the first place, as without this insight, even the most advanced tools will miss the mark.
AI-powered speech analytics platforms make this process simple and scalable, as Jonathan explains:
“First, identify common call reasons. Effective self-service starts with clearly understanding why customers are contacting your business. The easiest way to uncover this is by using an AI-powered speech analytics platform.
With this, your team can instantly see why customers are calling without manually reviewing every single call. AI automatically analyses interactions at scale and extracts the most frequent call reasons and issues customers face.
From there, you can generate a report showing the top call reasons and pain points, creating the foundation for your self-service strategy.
When you know what drives customer enquiries, you can design solutions that actually reduce call volume and improve satisfaction.”
They automatically analyse thousands of conversations to reveal the most frequent call reasons and recurring issues. With this data, you can generate a clear report of your top customer pain points, which is the foundation for your self-service strategy.
When you know what drives customer contact, you can design digital experiences that truly meet customer needs, reduce call volumes, and boost satisfaction.
2. Choose the Right Self-Service Options
Once you understand your customers’ needs, it’s time to select the right tools to serve them.
From chatbots and virtual assistants to knowledge bases, there’s no shortage of self-service options.
The key is to choose solutions that are intuitive and easy to navigate, for example a knowledge base that’s cluttered or a chatbot that can’t handle nuance will only frustrate users further.
“Second, choose the right self-service options. Once you understand why customers reach out, it’s time to select the most effective self-service tools.
There are plenty of options, from chatbots and virtual assistants to knowledge bases, but focus on tools that are intuitive and easy to navigate.
While knowledge bases can be helpful, they can often feel overwhelming if not designed thoughtfully, which can defeat their purpose. The most successful self-service experiences combine smart automation with a human safety net.
Use AI-powered chatbots to handle routine tasks like routing customers to relevant FAQs or articles, but always provide a clear and effortless path to reach an agent when needed. Nothing frustrates users more than feeling stuck in a loop.
Seamless transitions between self-service and live support ensure customers feel supported and not stranded.
Give agents full visibility into previous self-service interactions so they can continue the conversation without repetition or confusion.”
The best experiences combine smart automation with a human safety net, so contact centres should use AI-powered bots to manage routine requests, such as routing or answering FAQs, but always offer a clear path to a live agent when needed.
When customers do transfer to an agent, ensure that the agent can see the full context of the self-service interaction. That way, customers never have to repeat themselves – keeping the experience smooth, consistent, and personal.
3. Keep Self-Service Updated and Data-Driven
Customer needs don’t stand still and neither should your self-service tools.
Contact centres should continuously monitor analytics to see which features customers use most, where they drop off, and what new questions are emerging.
Then use these insights to refresh FAQs, refine chatbot responses, and expand your knowledge base, as Jonathan concludes:
“Third, keep self-service options updated and data-driven. Customer needs evolve and your self-service experience should too.
Continuously monitor data to understand which features customers use most, where they drop off, and what new questions are emerging.
Use these insights to refresh FAQs, fine-tune chatbot responses, and expand your knowledge base. Treat your self-service system as a living, learning environment that adapts to customer behaviour.
Regular updates not only fix issues but demonstrate that you’re listening, improving, and investing in the customer experience. A data-driven approach keeps your self-service relevant, efficient, and genuinely helpful.
To conclude, self-service works best when it’s informed, intuitive, and always learning. Keep learning from your data, refining your tools, and your customers will feel the difference.”
Treat your self-service system as a living, learning ecosystem that evolves with your customers. Regular updates show that you’re listening, improving, and committed to delivering a great experience every time.
Author: Robyn Coppell
Published On: 11th Dec 2025
Read more about - Video, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Customer Experience (CX), Customer Service, Digital Channels, Employee Engagement, Jonathan Kenu Escobedo, MiaRec, Omnichannel, Self Service, Videos
