Demand for self-service options is not a trend — it’s an expectation. What is a growing trend, however, is the disappointment consumers experience when they attempt to use an organisation's self-service options. Until very recently, that disappointment was due to the options being poorly signposted, developed or maintained. But today that disappointment is down to demographics.

From online marketplaces and D2C brands to subscription services to replace physical products, older consumers are moving further towards digitalisation. And whether that move is being driven by greater financial restraint, a search for value or an acceptance that it’s time to embrace the future, your self-service needs to reflect that change. Different demographics have varying preferences for learning and information absorption, which should inform onboarding and support strategies. This could include offering both voice and chatbots or providing troubleshooting in diverse formats — like documentation, illustrations and videos.  And again, being able to offer greater choice and present the same information in multiple forms is now open to most organisations due to the out-of-the-box capabilities of generative AI. Image-, video- and content-generation tools can be used with prompts shaped through carefully developed customer personas and the results tweaked based on feedback and performance as the options are rolled out. By reconciling different expectations, brands have a huge opportunity to get creative in educating, onboarding and supporting older demographics so that they know how to use digital platforms, how to troubleshoot and how to resolve persistent but minor issues in a way that meets the self-service preferences of older as well as younger generations.