Self-service: Lessons from industry

Abstract

Over the years, companies have employed a myriad of techniques in an effort to positively impact their bottom-line, while competing in a dynamic, fast-paced market without boundaries. These techniques have ranged from leveraging new media to growing their client base to outsourcing non-core organizational competencies to cheaper economies. The cost minimization path to profit maximization normally leads to the exploitation of the phenomenon of self-service, where service provision responsibility is transferred (partially or completely) to the service consumer. In exchange for the additional responsibility of partially or completely provisioning service, the service consumer has more flexibility engaging with the service, more ownership in the creation or delivery of the service, and more delivery options to choose from (i.e., inter-personal service or self-service). The resulting lowered transaction cost, diminishing provider expense, and service consumer empowerment seem to create a virtual win-win situation for all parties involved. However, the design of self-services and self-service technologies (SSTs) must also consider other implicit factors that can impact the kind of service experience a service consumer has and, ultimately, determines whether a self-service succeeds or fails. This paper provides an examination of the concept of self-service, discusses the implications of employing this concept and makes recommendations for its successful deployment and adoption.