Research from customer experience firm Callvu shows strong interest in ultra-simple self-service support alternatives.
Consumers are frustrated with the complexity and time demands of existing customer service experience options and want faster and easier options. That’s the clear finding of a national survey of 469 consumers fielded by CX company Callvu. 78% of respondents said they often have problems with existing service options on company websites and apps at least some of the time, and 35% report having problems when using them most or all the time. When they were shown a concept statement and illustration of a digital micro app as an alternative form of digital self-service to resolve issues, 71% said they were “interested” or “very interested” in trying them, and 47% were “very interested.”
Digital micro apps are small, focused programs designed to do one thing—solve a specific type of problem or issue–quickly and easily. They can be used on any device and don’t require users to download or install software to use them. Digital micro apps are often automatically sent to customers via a text link when requested, so users don’t have to hunt for the right solution to address their issue. Sometimes, they can contact customer support for help if you get stuck using them.
When asked to identify the most important features of micro apps, consumers put simplicity and fast resolution at the top of the list:
Percent Ranking as Most Important Feature
21% – Simple and easy to use
18% – Focused on one problem or need
17% – Solve problems quickly
16% – Delivered to the user
15% – Work on any device or screen
13% – Access to live customer support if required
“Digital micro apps are helping more and more companies keep pace with constantly rising customer expectations for frictionless customer service,” said Ori Faran, Callvu Founder and CEO. “They are compelling for consumers because they deliver on the desire for simple workflows and instant gratification.”
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Digital micro apps address many of consumers’ top issues with customer portals and full-featured mobile apps. 61% of customers said they often find it difficult to locate the right digital tool to solve their problems on sites and apps and that these digital self-service tools often don’t work well on mobile screens. 75% said many digital tools they use now are more complicated than necessary.
Callvu data shows that digital micro apps perform well in many customer service use cases. Across millions of monthly uses, digital micro apps show a 92.3% successful completion rate, and most take less than two minutes to complete.
Respondents also saw great potential value in using digital micro apps to provide proactive support by making service notifications immediately actionable with links to straightforward self-service experiences. 83% said they thought digital micro apps would be valuable in these use cases, with 53% saying they would be “very valuable.”