Knowledge and the Self-Service Trend

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Knowledge builds bridges and opens doors. It has the ability to make our lives better in infinite ways and in this digital age the rules are no different: Knowledge is Power. The hyper-connected nature of today’s world offers us greater access to information than ever before. What once required hours in the local library pouring over encyclopedias, books, and other materials has now become accessible through a simple google search. This access to information has empowered individuals to be in greater control of their day to day experiences and interactions, especially when it comes to the relationship between individuals and businesses. With this new found power, more and more people are opting for self-service options rather than relying on companies to provide them assistance.

For this reason companies are slowly beginning to embrace the rising demand for self-service. People want to feel like they’re in control and the traditional form of customer service doesn’t support this movement of consumer independence. Customers today are ready to be independent, but they are also looking for convenience. Self-service should not come at the cost of wasted time and a frustrating experience. Companies that don’t adopt a customer centric approach, one in which knowledge and information play a crucial role, risk alienating current and potential customers.

Many of the issues that exist with today’s customer service experiences can be tied to knowledge management. Many of the considerations taken when analyzing the customer experience are directly affected by the level and quality of information that reaches customers. Key performance indicators such as call deflection rates, time to resolution, churn rate and various other CX metrics, can differ drastically depending on what information and content reaches customers. As important as it is to have the right content, the way that content is organized and how accessible it is to your customers and members of your organization is equally as important. Most large companies have enormous databases of information, and if thoroughly searched, the right information to answer customer queries can be found. Unfortunately, this does not address the issue of efficiency and having or not having that information available when customers need it is a “make or break” situation.

The good news is that all of this new technology has also brought with it advanced solutions for dealing with these knowledge management issues. Having the right solutions in place, like self-learning knowledge bases that allow real-time optimization, provide companies an efficient way to serve up the right content for their customers at the right time. An organization’s knowledge base can be an incredibly powerful tool when leveraged correctly. It can be utilized by both the support agents and external customers to deliver accurate and consistent information. The importance of consistency should not be understated and it is critical that everyone connected to the brand have access to the same product and service information.

Having the right knowledge management solution in place is paramount to building an exceptional self-service experience. Like laying the foundation of a house, an organization’s knowledge must be structured to provide stability and a base from which the self-service experience can be built upon. After all, the only way customers are going to use this option is if it provides an efficient alternative to contacting a company directly. This means that it can also be a determining factor in whether or not a company will retain the business of customers who prefer self-service.

According to Forrester Research, in the last few years, web self-service has surpassed all other channels as the preferred option for customer support. There is no indication that this trend is slowing down. While self-service would seem to be a huge advantage for businesses in respect to long term cost-cutting initiatives, many companies are slow to adjust to the new trend. The companies who do not embrace self-service as a long term strategy, are taking a gamble with their long term resiliency.

Yifat Mor
Yifat is the VP Marketing at nanorep. She has a lengthy and comprehensive history in marketing. Yifat is passionate about her work and hopes to share her knowledge on how to grow business and reach the ultimate in digital experience.

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