Superior customer service remains one of the few differentiators that businesses can sustain over time. The only way to do customer service well in today’s omnichannel environment is by serving up the right knowledge in every customer interaction. eGain has implemented knowledge solutions for blue-chip companies worldwide, helping them design and deliver great customer service experiences. Here are some of our best practices.
1. Quantify value
Put a number to it! Document expected and realized ROI before and after the deployment. It will help you justify the initial investment as well as continuous improvement of the knowledge base (KB). Make sure your metrics are aligned with business objectives. For instance, if your business goal is to increase upsell and cross-sell, reduction in average handle time (AHT) will be a conflicting metric.
Knowledge management (KM) can deliver positive ROI in many ways. Businesses frequently use KM to:
- Deflect requests for agent-assisted service through effective self-service
- Increase first-time resolution
- Increase sales conversion
- Reduce AHT, escalations, transfers, and repeat calls
- Reduce unwarranted product returns and field visits
- Reduce training time and staff wage premiums
2. Build the team
Employ the right team for knowledge capture, creation, and continuous improvement. A cross-functional team with a 360-degree approach to knowledge would typically include the following members:
- Strategist: Lead expert who determines the organization, roles and responsibilities, and long-term plans.
- Select users: High-performance agents who use the KB and can provide feedback and answers. Be sure to reward such agents to foster ongoing knowledge contribution.
- Subject matter experts: Experts who have answers, especially for questions of high complexity.
- Knowledge authors: Writers and publishers who are focused on content development, taxonomy, and publishing.
- Project managers: Tactical managers who keep the project on track and ensure progress.
3. Start with depth
Unfocused knowledge deployments almost always result in a shallow KB that is full of holes like Swiss cheese. If users find inadequate or wrong information, they will simply stop using the system. Focus first on depth rather than breadth. Start with common questions on common products or lines of business (the 80-20 rule) and expand over time.
4. Focus on findability
Users prefer different ways of searching for information, just as drivers prefer different ways of reaching their destination. A GPS-style approach with multiple options to find information dramatically improves knowledge base adoption and ROI. For example, new agents usually find it difficult to wade through hundreds of keyword search results, but fare better if they are guided through a step-by-step dialog, powered by AI technologies such as Case-Based Reasoning (CBR). CBR can also guide agents and end-customers through interactive customer processes that are compliant with best practices and industry regulations.
Multiple search options (virtual assistant, FAQ, keyword and natural language search, intent-driven search, topic-tree browsing, and AI-powered guided help) allow a broad range of users to quickly and easily find information, and enable agents to have best-practice conversations with customers. Use a common omnichannel knowledge platform to deliver knowledge across traditional and mobile devices for access anywhere.
5. Crowdsource, but scrub
Most businesses are not taking advantage of the enormous opportunity to tap into community and social knowledge, and when they do they often make the mistake of creating yet another inconsistent knowledge silo. Foster and harvest social knowledge but scrub and unify with trusted knowledge, and then proactively publish across all channels.
Best Practices = Success
Implementing these KM practices not only delivers ROI, but also enables transformative customer experiences. Here are some real-world examples:
- Premier home appliance manufacturer: $50M in savings by eliminating unwarranted truck rolls through knowledge-powered resolution processes in the contact center and website
- Semiconductor giant: 59% increase in web self-service adoption, 30% increase in First Contact Resolution
- Global knowledge and legal services solutions provider: 70% deflection of calls and emails through knowledge-powered self-service, 30% reduction in content authoring time
- Leading telco provider: 42% reduction in unwarranted handset returns through knowledge-powered resolution process in the contact center
- Global bank: 88% reduction in agent training time and 70% increase in productivity through knowledge-powered account opening process in small business sector
About eGain
eGain customer engagement solutions power digital transformation for leading brands. Our top-rated cloud applications for social, mobile, web, and contact centers help clients deliver connected customer journeys in a multichannel world. To find out more, visit http://www.egain.com.
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