| The well-known Russian Playright Anton Checkhov | | | | own words. This ensures that your tool can capture |
| once wrote "Knowledge is of no value unless you put | | | | the level of granularity that your customer may want |
| it into practice". Nothing could be more true when it | | | | to start with, and that once the knowlegebase article is |
| comes to achieving efficiency in customer | | | | added it will contain a solution that truly reflects |
| management.The "practice" of knowledge as it relates | | | | customer intent.How much work does this cause your |
| to customer service varies by organization, but clearly | | | | administration on the inside of your company if you |
| the goal should be (for any organization) the desire to | | | | wish to create a closed-loop knowledgebase artifact, |
| establish an efficient, consistent process for meeting | | | | strengthen the relationship with that customer, and |
| the demands on the most frequently requested (and | | | | service the repeatibiltiy aspect of others in need of the |
| thereby necessary) knowledge bits and bytes that live | | | | same solution? Consider some "must have" features |
| at the heart of your product offering.Careful listening is | | | | to create a positive collaborative environment for |
| by far the very best way to build credibility in customer | | | | knowledge sharing:State Change - look for a system |
| service - why? Your relationship with that customer | | | | that enables a CSR or admin to create state change |
| becomes stronger each time you are able to service | | | | on a customer-originated issue. The state change |
| their individually unique articulation of a particular | | | | would transition the issue from open to (for exampe), |
| question, problem, or issue. I truly believe there is a | | | | to "closed - knowlegebase" without having to create |
| significant difference in customer impact when a | | | | the article from scratch.Publishing - look for systems |
| problem is solved with written communication as | | | | that enables instant publishing as opposed to batch |
| opposed to a passing conversation.Furthermore, any | | | | processing or convoluted processes that slow artifact |
| future customers that encounter similar problems will | | | | approval.Content - create solutions that contain rich |
| make an identifiable connection through the benefit of | | | | content - many of today's knowledgebase tools have |
| written communication - consider the reasons | | | | added document editing panels (similar to MS Word) |
| why:someone took the time to document precisely | | | | that provide word processing features, enabling you to |
| what their question or issue wasthe problem was | | | | create rich content.Flexibilty - demand a system that |
| already experienced by someone else, or perhaps | | | | gives you options on how your knowledgebase |
| many othersby responding in writing, customer support | | | | articles will be displayed - when it comes to |
| genuinely endorsed the validity of the issueThus, the | | | | knowledgebase preferences, you can please some of |
| "practice" of knowlege from a tools perspective | | | | the people only some of the time with a "one-size fits |
| manifests itself in the form of a knowledgebase of | | | | all" approach.Security - ensure that knowledgbase |
| reusable artifacts. You would be hard pressed today | | | | articles have security settings so that certain types of |
| to find a helpdesk or CRM system that does not have | | | | external users are limited in what artifacts they are |
| this feature, but there are some distinct differences | | | | able to access.A bit of solution shopping and careful |
| when it comes to how much work (and what kind of | | | | consideration up front will go a long way in building |
| flexibility) it takes to develop a good solid library of | | | | stronger relationships with customers with well planned, |
| reusable artifiacts.The first place to start when it | | | | collaborative knowledge sharing.Leandro Goldberg is a |
| comes to looking for a CRM or Helpdesk | | | | frequent blogger and CRM Advisor |
| knowledgebase feature is the capability for a | | | | Email: Company: |
| customer or external constituency to report and | | | | Blog: supportfusion.blogspot. |
| self-manage questions, issues, and problems in their | | | | |