Copyright
(c) 2008 Anne Sych
Novo Help Desk Software
http://www.novosolutions.com/
With today’s economic challenges forcing management
to tighten spending, companies are looking for effective ways to sustain excellent
customer service while maintaining or reducing overall expenses. The implementation
of a customer “self support” model provides an excellent means to optimize
customer support spending. A survey published by the Association of Support Professionals
revealed that the average cost to resolve a support issue by telephone was $27.78,
to resolve by email was $28.78, while to resolve by web self support was only
$3.75. Calls managed through a self-help tool can reduce manpower and build to
huge savings fro your company.
Help Desk Software with an
integrated Knowledge Base allows website owners to provide a web based communications
channel allowing clients to resolve their own issues. Self Help content is placed
into “articles” which are readily available for retrieval through the
portal. The customer can simply go to the website and search for an answer to
his issue. Search relevancy displays search results with the most relevant articles
listed first, making it easy for the customer to quickly find what he is looking
for. A web based version of the software can allow implementation within hours/
days of installation.
Shifting the mindset of your customers
to a self-help scenario need not be a scary endeavor. The following are a few
of the recommendations highlighted in a report published by the “Association
of Support Professionals”.*
Encourage customers to
search the Web first:
Web support should be emphasized in
company publications as the preferred method of support. Customers using telephone
support can often be coaxed to try web support through “on-hold recordings”
recommending the speed and simplicity of this Web service.
Fine-tune
your Web navigation:
Often small changes in your current
website navigation can result in huge gains for self service. For example, replace
typical support contact email addresses with prominent links such as “Ask
a Question” or “Find Answers” that link directly to the knowledge
base. Duplicate the links in multiple locations throughout the site.
Post
new knowledge base content quickly:
When your telephone
support staff gets issues that are not addressed in the knowledgebase, create
a system where they promptly send an alert to knowledge base administrators. Some
knowledge base systems allow end users and/or telephone support staff to create
new articles on the fly, which get sent to admin for approval. This keeps the
knowledge base constantly updated.
Look for new ways to
leverage support site investments:
The infrastructure of
a Web support site can sometimes handle other customer-related tasks such as downloads
and the distribution of beta information. The architecture is in place and the
interface is already familiar to the customers. Security can be set by administrators
as desired to manage permissions.
Soon your customers will
be empowered to find answers to their own questions on your website, all-the-while
saving your company money.
* Doing More With Less, Published
by The Association of Support Professionals, pgs. 2-3.
About the Author:
Anne
Sych, Marketing Manager for Novo Solutions, Inc. Novo Solutions, Inc., is an Independent
Software Vendor (ISV) in Virginia Beach, Virginia specializing in Customer Support
Software. Free trial versions of the Novo Help Desk Software, Knowledge Base Software
and suite of web-based Customer Support Solutions. Contact: sales@novosolutions.com
for more information. http://www.novosolutions.com/
