It's ironic that in some industries, a well-executed customer self-service portal can achieve higher customer satisfaction scores than "more people on the phone." While this may not make CS professionals feel all warm and fuzzy, the cost savings and time efficiencies cannot be ignored.

A well-executed customer portal lowers the company's costs, gives customers 24 × 365 access to the information they need, and reduces the error rate associated with support information. Ideally, the portal should include access to the following information:

• Customer name, address, phone, and account information (including user preferences such as language and currency)

• Order history, invoices, and shipment history.