One morning I was using the kiosk at the airport to check-in for my flight. Self-service check-in is something I do, all of the time. I like using self-service, and most of the time, I know what I’m doing. But on this day, something went wrong, and I wasn’t able to print my ticket.
An employee with the airline noticed I was stuck. She walked over and asked if I needed help with anything. I told her what my problem was. She stood, facing me, and looking over the kiosk, so that the kiosk was actually upside down for her. And from that position, she walked me through what I needed to proceed.
Two things about this encounter struck me. First, the employee “noticed” that I needed help. That means she was watchful and willing. I didn’t have to stand there and struggle, and I didn’t have to hunt anyone down.
The second thing I noticed was, she didn’t just do it for me. The employee walked me through the steps, which helps me to be able to do it myself next time.
In this article, I’m going to show you how to spot when it’s time for you to step up, and help a customer use self-service, much like the airport employee did for me.
Self-service at the library must be a smooth and quick experience. This means it has to be easy for customers, and customers have to “like” using self-service tools.
You can make self-service easy and enjoyable by jumping in at the moment your customer needs assistance. There are 3 steps you can take to make self-service work.
Key 1: Observe
Stand back and let customers approach self-service. Those who know what they’re doing don’t like to be bothered. But keep an eye out for people using the options for the first time. Just glance over at customers as they use your self-service so that you know when your help is needed.
De-escalation Training for Customer Service & Soft Skills Training 