Twenty years ago, the idea of self-service consumerism didn’t exist, especially in the western world. Every purchase and interaction involved a waiter, a cashier, or a salesperson trained to help you complete your purchase quickly and easily.
Today, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, self-service and touchless technology have moved to the forefront. How has technology changed the way we shop and lead to the rise of self-serve consumerism?
IBM Saw It Coming
A 2017 survey carried out by IBM predicted that 85% of customer interactions would happen without a human agent by 2020. This was a full three years before the world found itself in the grips of a global pandemic that made self-service stations and touchless shopping a necessity as people struggled to keep themselves and their loved ones safe from the virus.
Industry experts are now predicting that technology will advance to the point that 95% of customer interactions will happen with an AI system by 2025 ” and these systems will be so seamless that people won’t even realize that they’re talking to a bot.
This trend was already in motion long before the pandemic sent us back to our corners and we spent more than a year six feet apart and separated by plexiglass barriers. How are these new technologies shaping self-service consumerism?
Eliminating Social Pressures
Even for those that don’t suffer from social anxiety, dealing with customer service professionals can be awkward at best. No one wants to be the person that causes trouble by asking for help ” even if that help is essential to complete a task.
Self-service systems allow people to access the goods and services that they need without any of the social pressures that come with interacting with staff members. It enables people with social anxiety to complete necessary tasks, and makes the entire process a bit more comfortable for everyone.
It’s important to note that these self-service systems aren’t a replacement for trained staff members. There will always be problems that need that human touch to solve, and we’re a long way off from being able to mimic that with AI and robotics.
Leaning Toward Sustainability
This may sound like a stretch, but many self-service technologies can help to support sustainability and a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Self-service dog wash kiosks, for example, provide an alternative to expensive trips to the groomer while keeping everything in a self-contained environment, so you don’t have to worry about waste or getting soap into the ecosystem.
The ASPCA recommends bathing your dog at least once every three months, but for anyone who’s owned a dog ” which includes six out of 10 Americans ” that isn’t always an option. It feels like our furry friends always find a way to roll in the smelliest thing they can find.
Smart technology is also lending itself toward sustainability, and many of these devices don’t require anything other than a smartphone and a companion app. Thermostats, power strips and other similar technology are easy to manage without needing any human interaction at all.
Improving Customer Satisfaction
There’s nothing in this world more awkward than trying to place a custom order for something, even if it is as simple as asking them to leave the onions off your hamburger. Self-service technologies help improve customer satisfaction by eliminating that awkwardness and making it more likely to order or request what they want rather than being content with what’s available on the menu. One study found that companies experience a 14% uptick in special requests and instructions when using self-service kiosks over regular purchases.
This is a simple way to improve customer service and satisfaction and make them more likely to return and make repeat purchases.
Shifting Toward a Self-Service Model
Self-service technology may have a growing population of naysayers, but that hasn’t stopped the technology from moving forward. Consumers are often happier to handle things themselves without having to interact with anyone else. Even without living through a global pandemic, the rise in self-service technology was going to happen regardless.
