"The most successful self-service environment is one that not only delivers rapid and accurate responses to customers, but one that also is sensitive to customer expressions of frustration and the need to escalate customers who are not being helped - whether due to their inability to properly use self-service, or the unique nature of their question, which may require attended support," Klein says. "Properly implemented self-service solutions present a highly sensitive interface to the customer, and via that interface delivers a seamless integration to attended support channels."

Sento's O'Neal agrees, arguing that while Internet chat is an option significantly more effective than phone or e-mail, it remains the most under-recognized and under-utilized communication method available to man. Whereas phone agents live in the world of "let me tell you", chat agents live in a world of "let me show you" or "let me do it for you". Phone and e-mail cannot compare.

O'Neal says chat allows customers to continue working on the Internet without cutting the connection to make a phone call. Even with broadband, talking on the phone while navigating the Web is a hassle. While using chat, customers can multitask. This increases their satisfaction. And the chat agent can push URLs, co-browse Web pages, download files and (with permission) even take over control of the PC.

"Since there is a transcript of the entire text conversation, if a customer is dissatisfied, the customer and the company avoid the 'he-said, she-said' scenario of the phone world," O'Neal says. "Chat agents can handle two to three customers simultaneously, without the customer being aware of this. Companies can use domestic or offshore agents, wherever Internet is available. First-time resolution rates are significantly higher than e-mail and at least equal to those obtained over the phone," he says.

If customers have their own preferences, they are also responsive to carrot and stick approaches. One company deploying Conversagent's ASA system has chosen to reward customers who first turn to the ASA for self-service. Users who use the ASA, and ask questions that require attended support (for instance, help changing their password or personal account details) are passed to live online chat, at the front of the queue, ahead of customers who simply click into live chat support directly. By implementing this rule set, the company rewards customers for using the ASA, and adds a level of extra support to the ASA experience that will lead to the customer turning to the ASA for help at their next need for support.

Comcast deployed an interactive agent support site it calls "Ask Comcast" in mid September 2003 to deliver customer support to its broadband service customers. Initially presented at the bottom of their support options, after two months of availability Ask Comcast was surpassing attended e-mail and live chat support channels for customer cases handled each month. And unlike attended support channels, which cost the company multiple dollars per customer session, the interactive agent cost less than $US0.20 to resolve a customer case.

"After two months of deployment, Ask Comcast was moved to the top position in the company's help menu, and to the upper-left-hand corner of their support page," Klein says. Ask Comcast is saving the company significant sums per month by deflecting customer support sessions away from attended support channels. At a total first-year cost of under $US350,000, Ask Comcast returned its investment in less than one month of service, according to Mitch Bowling, the vice president of customer service at Comcast