Benefits of Implementing a Knowledge Base for Online Self-Service

Fundamentals in Managing Customer Support Operations In the past, the telephone was the primary means of communication between customers and businesses. In addition to its high cost, telephone support is limited by several metrics, including operating hours and the availability of service representatives or support experts. Today, companies can offer their customers multiple service channels, including the innovative Web Self-Service, an online knowledge base. A customer can call the company's phone number, send an email with a question, and access a dedicated customer support site to find answers to questions and topics about the company's products, services, or information about their account. These self-service solutions are valuable tools for companies looking to reduce service/support costs while expanding to 24/7/365 customer support worldwide.

The advantages of self-service for the customer are:

1. Customers can find answers to questions/solutions to problems 24 hours daily.

2. Customers do not need to wait for a company representative to respond to their emails.

3. Allowing customers to find the answer themselves on the company's website decreases the number of incoming queries.

4. The number of incoming queries to the company decreases by providing a repository of answers (in the knowledge base) versus needing to answer the same question repeatedly.

5. Reduction in service/support center inquiries leads to downsizing staff at the service center (recruitment, training) and reducing the number of CRM licenses that need to be purchased for each Seat in the service/support center.

6. The decrease in the number of inquiries to the center enables the building of a smaller, professional, and specialized team that handles only complex issues and responds to them efficiently.

7. The availability of customer self-service technology allows service/support representatives to utilize these tools to provide fast and quality responses to customer queries.

Various Tools for Providing Online Self-Service to Customers

There are many categories of online tools that allow customers to find answers to questions, such as knowledge bases, smart FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) tools, organizational dictionaries, and internet search tools. However, the key to online customer self-service begins with the Knowledge Base.

The knowledge base is a central repository of information that can be accessed through a simple and user-friendly WEB search portal. Customers can access the knowledge base via the company's website and search for answers to questions that allow them to solve problems independently without needing to call or email the company. The result is a more positive customer experience.

Many knowledge bases contain an FAQ infrastructure that allows customers to view and search a list of FAQs and their answers. Most FAQ systems rank the 10-20 most popular questions, and some even classify them by categories. Although this is a proven tool and efficient method for finding answers to common questions, the FAQ tool alone does not provide answers to all customer questions.

Expert systems (also known as troubleshooting systems) are another online tool that can be used to help customers find answers online. Expert systems guide the customer through a predefined path of questions at each stage and offer a list of answers. In this way, the customer can delve deeper into the most relevant answer. As one of the highest quality self-service tools, the most effective use of expert systems is both for offering solutions to the most common problems and complex solutions, as they can be organized and presented efficiently and understandably to the customer.

Providing an organizational glossary to customers is often all that is needed to answer their questions. Many companies have organizational terms specific to their vertical industry, technical jargon, and product names or categories that customers do not understand. A simple glossary representing the company's terminology, products, and services is often an important aid tool for customers.

Companies frequently update their corporate websites. However, navigating the site is a complex process that makes it difficult for customers to find the answers they need. Therefore, an efficient and simple search tool becomes highly valuable in online self-service. A simple and efficient search tool located on every page of the site will allow customers to find the required information quickly and efficiently.

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