Open Access

Stefan Schweiger, Simon Oed, Julian Kemmer, Maximilian de Geus

• Digital transformation is changing the service landscape and confronting companies with challenges such as staff shortages and changing customer behavior. This paper examines the impact of self-service options on customer perceptions and their potential to improve a company’s resilience. The empirical study conducted for this purpose with 400 participants from different age groups, but with a focus on Generation Z, shows that almost all respondents have encountered self-service at some point, with the retail, tourism and financial sectors leading in usage. About 90% of respondents use self-service several times a month. While all generations value time savings and convenience, older participants express more concerns about errors, lack of support and privacy. The study highlights the increasing prevalence of self-service, particularly among young people, and their positive perceptions. Self-service solutions offer businesses the ability to address challenges, engage with customers and streamline processes. The positive impact extends not only to B2C processes, but also allows conclusions to be drawn about the positive influence of self-service options in internal and external B2B activities such as order management and customer support.