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Self-service is increasingly being recognized as a critical path of the customer experience, prompting some self-styled business gurus to quip that in fact, “the best service is no service.”

While many of us prefer the hand-holding that only human-to-human interaction can facilitate, the data suggests that a majority of us prefer to be the masters of our own destiny; the captains of our own ships; the makers of our own fate. After all, if social psychologists are to be believed then those with a higher internal locus of control make far happier individuals. But enough with the pop-psychology 101.

Simply, we want ease of interaction with our service providers. Translated: we don’t want to ride the endless telephone call loop of providing security information – on hold – state purpose of call – on hold – provide information. Let us choose our channels, and if you are going to provide a choice of channels, be darn good at it.

The now generation is the Web generation, the Web generation is the smartphone generation. In other words, we can do it ourselves; we want to do it ourselves, but only IF your company is successful at creating engaging self-service from top to bottom.  We have the gadgets and we know how to use them – so let us use them.

If you want to play nice with us (the customer), then you need to take a good honest look at your existing contact channels, design a sensible and workable self-service model, and ensure all channels work in unison.

The leaders in customer self-service, your eBays, Amazons, Virgin Airlines, Bank of America et al, didn’t just throw together their respective websites, and launch a ‘Here it is. Come use it’ marketing strategy. These companies recognized that there is a science to understanding customer behavior. And they built their self-service applications with this behavior in mind, whether it be kiosks, web channel, IVR, SMS, etc.

Most importantly, they recognize that a self-service strategy should not be the abandonment of staffed channels. Existing channels must be integrated with self-service, and thus the importance of a CRM platform that provides a 360-degree view of the customer.

According to Bill Price of McKinsey & Co, enterprises that design effective self-service for the customer do four things with extreme attention to detail:

1. Determine the customer’s purpose in using self-service
2. Understand the specific needs and behaviors of these customers and what will make self-service usable for these groups
3. Make self-service easy for the customer
4. Listen and invent constantly for the customer

Having considered all of the above four points, you’re ultimately left with one question: are you ready to serve the now generation?

CJ Werley is CEO of Sword Ciboodle, SE Asia.