I prefer to self-serve because most of the time the human interaction is adding little value.
Go to Best Buy or the Apple Store and ask a basic question, you'll probably get a stumped look or a wrong answer and a pathetic attempt to sell you a $99 HDMI cable or a $29 DVI adapter. Call your cable or internet company and ask if you're on the right plan and you'll get excuses and transfers and have to give them information that they already have, multiple times, and likely get an unsatisfactory answer. These places treat customer service staff as low-skill/low-pay commodity positions, and the results are predictable. Therefore, I want these fruitless interactions minimized, so self-serve it is.
My realtor, on the other hand, answers every question I ask. Maybe not immediately, but he will definitely find the answer and will definitely call me back. He even offers proactive information and next steps. I don't want to replace him with a website. And as a bonus, because he's pleasant AND knowledgeable, I actually want to talk to him on the phone, not even by email.
Summary: If you want "relationships" with your customers, focus on how capable the people they're talking to are, or replace them with a website.
This is really the point I think: companies need to give front-line customer service reps more authority to resolve problems, deviate from scripts, etc. Of course this requires hiring people who are creative and can think on their feet, and probably paying them enough so they are motivated to be helpful. Which is why most customer service is staffed by low-paid scripted drones.
Go to Best Buy or the Apple Store and ask a basic question, you'll probably get a stumped look or a wrong answer and a pathetic attempt to sell you a $99 HDMI cable or a $29 DVI adapter. Call your cable or internet company and ask if you're on the right plan and you'll get excuses and transfers and have to give them information that they already have, multiple times, and likely get an unsatisfactory answer. These places treat customer service staff as low-skill/low-pay commodity positions, and the results are predictable. Therefore, I want these fruitless interactions minimized, so self-serve it is.
My realtor, on the other hand, answers every question I ask. Maybe not immediately, but he will definitely find the answer and will definitely call me back. He even offers proactive information and next steps. I don't want to replace him with a website. And as a bonus, because he's pleasant AND knowledgeable, I actually want to talk to him on the phone, not even by email.
Summary: If you want "relationships" with your customers, focus on how capable the people they're talking to are, or replace them with a website.