From self-checkout at the grocery store to online banking, the help-yourself trend continues to grow. These independent users, sometimes referred to as empowered customers, are more than happy to resolve problems for themselves, valuing the convenience, speed, and anonymity offered by self-service experiences.
Today's mobile users are no different; they are independent and value their time. Because of this trend, enabling self-service FAQs in your app is a great way to give your users exactly what they want: a chance to solve their problems on their own. Read on to learn why in-app FAQs are crucial to your user experience.
FAQs are becoming standard across apps.
We're beginning to see more mobile FAQs. In fact, 90 percent of consumers now expect companies to offer self-service customer support portals; 60 percent of consumers have more favorable views of companies if their self-service offerings are mobile-responsive. Instead of FAQs being a luxury item, they're something your user expects to see. So, when a frustrated user goes searching for your FAQs after an issue arises, you should make sure they are available, easy to find, and simple to navigate. The last thing you want is to further complicate the users' experience or push them into the arms of a competitor with impressive self-support tools.
Customers prefer to help themselves.
As stated before, customers are more active in solving their own problems when given the tools to do so. According to research, 73 percent of consumers want to solve product/service issues on their own; one third say they'd rather clean a toilet than speak with customer service. So many service interactions get the reputation of being incompetent, time-consuming, and frustrating. By handing over the reins and letting customers search for their own answers, they're able to address their issues at their own pace.
FAQs save your support team valuable time.
Frequently Asked Questions are named that for a reason. Instead of paying your support team to answer the same question over and over again, answer those questions head-on by providing the answer right within your app. Equipping your users with the tools to solve their own common queries frees up your support teams' time to address more pressing matters, which require fast, accurate service.
FAQ analytics and user feedback guides app improvements.
Many FAQs are formatted for user feedback, meaning a user can "up vote" or "down vote" the helpfulness of the answer. By tracking FAQ views, and voting, you can understand where your customers are having the most trouble within your app. If there are a large number of views or votes for a specific question, it might be time for your developers to streamline a process or clear up confusion within the app flow. It's this small but valuable feedback from your users that improves their overall experience within your app.
Users prefer self-service support, so don't make the mistake of overlooking this valuable app feature. Self-Service FAQs come at a low-cost to your company, requiring little time to build out and integrate. The return on this investment is notable; many developers see an increase in user retention and satisfaction. (Plus, it's an easy way to boost app store ratings.) By placing FAQs directly within your app, you're equipping your users with the tools to solve their own problems and keeping them right where you want them: engaged in your app.
Barry Coleman is CEO at UserCare, an in-app customer service solution that uses Big Data to help companies grow lifetime value by blending real-time support with relationship management.