System and method to improve self-service operation in a contact center, the method including: monitoring progress of a self-service customer support session for a customer of the contact center; monitoring surplus status of agents in the contact center; determining a system state related to the customer by use of the monitored progress and the monitored surplus status; setting an indicator signal to a first state if the system state is in an agent-support domain, otherwise setting the indicator signal to a second state if the system state is in an self-support domain; and assigning the customer to an agent-supported session if the indicator signal is in the first state.