Customer service and self-service technology: Top five headlines

In this special report, we've collected our most popular headlines on self-service technology, a version of electronic support that allows customers to access information and perform routine tasks over the Internet. Learn how self-service technology is affecting customer service, the benefits of using self-service technology and how to avoid self-service application failure.

1. Businesses not providing the customer service they think they are: A survey by Accenture found that the level of customer service companies think they are providing doesn't match the customer service they are actually providing, in part due to unsatisfactory self-service technology.

2. Speech, voice apps integrating into the contact center: Despite efforts to move customer service away from live telephone interactions, the telephone will remain the dominant form of access for years to come. Call centers need to remain open to integrating new voice applications into their call center suites.

3. Self-service applications save money: In this column, Donna Fluss discusses whether or not self-service technology saves money and identifies why these applications sometimes fail.

4. E-service, e-commerce create call center challenges: As the popularity of self-service applications grows, call center agents are faced with more complex questions, sticky situations and customers who demand they know it all.

5. Application lets customers ask and answer their own questions: Who better to answer customer questions than the customers themselves? One application lets customers ask and answer questions on company websites in an effort to keep them from venturing elsewhere.