When Customer Service Becomes Self-Service – Consumer Reports

By | August 15, 2014

Whether you’re banking or buying groceries, companies are moving toward a do-it-yourself approach. Consumer Reports tells you how to survive and thrive.

Source: www.consumerreports.org

Remember when attendants pumped gas, clerks bagged groceries, and the sales help measured your feet before you tried on a pair of shoes? Today at Applebee’s and Chili’s, tableside computer tablets allow patrons to order food and drinks and pay the bill without a waiter. Got a tech-support problem? Forget the help line. Just post your question to a company’s message board or community forum on its website and wait for amateur troubleshooters to respond.

The do-it-yourself economy is transforming industries, services, and society at 4G speed.

Why have companies embraced self-service so enthusiastically? To save money.