June 1999
Does Your Call Center Do the Web?
BY SCOT THOMAS ROBINSON
When customers or employees want help, what do they really need? They need information
targeted to their specific question they need knowledge. Knowledge is more than
just information. Knowledge is information in the context of specific customer questions.
How will you provide that knowledge? Support vehicles include the customer service
representative in a call center, fax-on-demand, e-mail queries, and one of the fastest
growing areas of support the Web. Web-enabled support may be the "killer
app" for service, enabling you to create an avenue for customers and internal help
desk employees to get the knowledge they need.
However, as anyone who has been on the Web knows, how a company implements its Web
support will determine if it is productive for customers or support staff. If your Web
support is difficult to navigate or confusing to customers, it is as bad or worse than not
having Web support at all. Customers may try your service and support area once, and if it
doesnt measure up, they may never try it again. That means wasted effort and money
on a support tool that is not productive. But, if you implement your Web support
correctly, internal help desk employees and external customers can get the knowledge they
need, when they need it. And when this happens, these same users will tend to turn to that
resource more often and think more highly of the support team that helped them. The
key to a successful Web support solution is getting the right information to users in a
simple, familiar way. So how do you build the right Web support? Enter Web-enabled call
centers that bring just-in-time knowledge right to the employees or the
customers browser.
THE WEB-ENABLED CALL CENTER
A Web-enabled call center is based on proven technologies: The Web and knowledge
management software. The Internet especially the Web or an intranet offers
users unparalleled access to information. You can find just about anything on the Web. The
task for a Web-enabled call center is to provide useful information as quickly as
possible. Web-enabled call centers might include technologies such as e-mail routing and
tracking, real-time text chat, one-click access to a CSR, voice over IP, and so forth. But
the key to a Web-enabled call center is a knowledge management tool.
A knowledgebase is a database containing either prepackaged content from companies such
as ServiceWare, Inc., Novell, or others, or containing custom content that someone from
your company has entered. The Web-enabled knowledge tools basic function is to
receive a query, search the available knowledgebases, and return only knowledge that is
relevant to the query. When you Web-enable your knowledgebase, you enter into a new era of
access for both help desk employees and end users. By presenting these users with a simple
format through a familiar browser, you can successfully have them enter a query and get
their response.
So, is a Web-enabled knowledge tool all you need? Well, a Web-enabled call center is
not a magic bullet. The success of Web support is directly tied to the competence of the
user and the effort put into preparing the knowledge in your knowledgebase. Users may
still not be able to find what they want. Can they enter the right query? Are they
knowledgeable enough to ask the right question or answer the question they are being asked
correctly? Will they refuse to even try Web support, preferring instead the reassurance of
a human voice on the telephone? In addition, there is no guarantee that your number of
support incidents will go down. In fact, the number may increase, particularly if word
gets out that users can actually get quality support. Users who have avoided using the
phone might start using the Web.
A quality knowledge management solution is not going to solve all of your support
problems. Even the most savvy users sometimes need more help than a knowledgebase can
provide. And even with the best products, new problems are always cropping up. Users are
inherently curious, and their environments are dynamic. They are not sitting on the same
machines with the same software today that they had yesterday. New versions of software,
new operating systems, and new users trying new ways of doing things do not create a
static environment where all of the answers can fit neatly into a single knowledgebase.
MANAGING KNOWLEDGE THROUGH THE WEB
If a knowledge management tool isnt going to solve all of your problems, why should
you use one to put your knowledge on the Web? Why use a knowledge tool at all? You can use
a knowledge tool as one more arrow in your quiver to give your users what they need now:
Answers to their questions, and the ability to get back to work fast. With a little effort
on your part and the right tool, you can improve your support and, possibly, reduce your
costs.
Using the Web as a way to deliver knowledge to customers gives advantages to both users
and to the support team. The main advantages for customers include worldwide, 24x7
availability and a familiar query tool a Web browser. Users from around the world
can now access your knowledge. If they can get on the Web, they can check your site. They
will see this as a significant improvement over an international telephone call. Employees
or users no longer have to wait on hold while someone else is being helped. The people you
support can now support themselves, at least in part.
If you are offering support, you probably already have an Internet or intranet Web
site, but is it really making your job easier? The adage goes that content is king. A
knowledge management tool offers the ability to update content quickly. How frequently do
you update your FAQs on your site? With a knowledge tool, updating a site is part of the
process of building knowledge. As your representatives answer questions, they find new or
better answers to the real questions being posed, and that knowledge can be rapidly
updated in the knowledgebase.
Web support may also reduce the number of calls because customers can find answers
themselves. It will also reduce training time if CSRs use a standard Web browser
one with which they are familiar to enter their queries. If either employees or
customers can find what they want, their satisfaction with not only support, but the
entire company, will improve.
When a company chooses a Web-enabled knowledge tool, they can be confident that their
CSRs are giving users the approved, correct answers. In addition, they gain other benefits
of a standard knowledge tool: The ability to update knowledge quickly, a reduced number of
escalations, less duplication of effort, and quicker training, which will make employees
more productive, more quickly.
Tom Robinson is a technical writer from Salt Lake City, UT, who works with Knowlix
Corporation, Inc. Knowlix builds powerful and affordable knowledge tools that seamlessly
integrate with the existing workflow of internal help desks and customer support centers.
With iKnow knowledge tools, you can reduce call duration, diminish first-time calls, and
decrease expensive call escalation. For more information, visit Knowlixs Web site at
www.knowlix.com. |
Adding The Web To Your Knowledge Solution
Now that you know what a knowledge management solution can
do, you might wonder which knowledge tool you should choose. Each companys needs are
different, and there is no single tool that will fit everyones needs. In fact, the
list of knowledge tools is growing, but four of the leading products are iKnowWeb from
Knowlix (http://www.knowlix.com), Knowledge Kiosks
from Molloy (http://www.molloy.com), SolutionExplorer
from Primus (http://www.primus.com), and Web Advisor
from ServiceSoft (http://www.servicesoft.com).
Each of these tools is only the Web component of the companys complete knowledge
management solution. They each have other products for authoring new knowledgebases,
accessing the knowledgebases from a network server, measuring what support content is
being used, or converting legacy information into a useable knowledgebase. And yet, each
of these Web-focused knowledge tools is different.
iKnowWeb from Knowlix is the companys Web component. The Knowlix tools offer
natural language query (users type in their question in their own words), on-the-fly HTML
conversion (content does not have to be converted to HTML manually because it is converted
as it is called up or requested), and the ability to search across multiple knowledgebases
at one time, regardless of where the content actually resides. Knowlix uses Folio Infobase
technology to allow searching through a single flat file, and can include graphics,
tables, and so on. Responses to a query are returned ranked by relevance. And relevance is
based on a combination of eight algorithms. As users or help desk employees select a
document as the correct answer, that particular documents relevance is increased so
that it will rank higher the next time a similar query is made.
Knowledge Kiosks is Molloys Web product. Molloy also offers natural language
query. The company touts its Cognitive Processor (patent pending), which is incorporated
in its TOP of MIND product, as one of the keys to its knowledge tools. As with Knowlix,
many of the features are actually in the main products and not the Web tool itself. TOP of
MIND offers call tracking, metrics, and other features. According to Molloy, their
Cognitive Processor offers a combination of "fuzzy logic, neural networks, text
parsing, and other techniques" to provide customers with a knowledgebase that
"builds its knowledge on the fly."
Primus Web offering is SolutionPublisher, and it also offers natural language
query. SolutionPublisher talks about logging on to a secure Web site and getting relevance
ranked results. It is also part of a suite of applications, and offers the feature of
wrapping up the data a customer has entered to be e-mailed to a customer service
representative.
Web Advisor from ServiceSoft Technologies offers Expert Reasoning technology. This
technology is like case-based reasoning, asking questions and requiring answers to get to
the appropriate solution. It also offers on-the-fly HTML conversion and inclusion of
multimedia content. Additionally, Web Advisor offers Activated Questions, which are Java
or ActiveX applets that can search the users workstation or database to get answers
to the questions if the user does not know the answer.
Although these products all offer some similar features, some include different
offerings such as call tracking and management. Another key factor for your decision will
be what kind of knowledge you want to include, and how you want to build that
knowledgebase. Whether it is a system that "learns" by itself, a system you
build, or one that incorporates prepackaged content, you need to find the solution that
best fits your needs and will serve your customers or help desk employees best. You must
consider what it will take to get the knowledge in a useable form and how you want to have
your users or employees search for that knowledge. Each system has its own advantages and
disadvantages, but because of the benefits a Web-enabled knowledge management tool offers,
you should definitely find out what it can do for you. |
Web-Based VoIP For Customer ServiceBY WALKER ANGELL
As consumers are becoming more comfortable shopping online, everyone wants to know what
to do to keep them there. Chances are they arent going to want to leave the Web if
they have a service-related question or problem. Several software vendors have emerged
over the past couple of years with products that offer Web-based customer service
capabilities, but why stop there? What about the other consumers that we are still trying
to reach those who only have one phone line and are reluctant to make a purchase
without a human element? Since everything on the Internet is automated, now we are
investigating Voice over IP (VoIP), which offers a human element to an otherwise
"less than personal" experience. When successfully implemented, VoIP will help
businesses keep their customers and make the consumers online shopping experience
better.
THE E-COMMERCE CONNECTION
First and foremost, vendors must understand that consumers will need to embrace e-commerce
and use advanced Web-based customer service applications in order to meet the predicted
growth rates of both the e-commerce and call center markets. The number one reason people
give for not shopping through the Web is low confidence in a system that they dont
really understand. When consumers are asked to fill out a form required for an online
transaction, personal information is being sent out into cyberspace without the consumer
knowing who is on the other end, and if they will ever get what they just paid for.
Whats the best way to calm their fears? Give them a human voice. What is the best
way to integrate human and data interaction? Voice over IP. With this technology in place
and practice electronic commerce will become easier and more efficient, and
consumers will have the best of both worlds: Automated, real-time assistance through the
Web with a human touch
and it only requires one phone line.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is critical to the success of businesses today,
and in particular, for online businesses that compete fiercely every day. Using VoIP, a
call center agent can speak to consumers and see what their problems are by viewing the
same screens they are viewing. Ultimately, this enables agents to solve consumers
problems faster and more efficiently.
IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES
As we expected, the terrain out on the frontier has its peaks and valleys, and there are
some challenges that anyone implementing VoIP in their call center should consider:
- Look at who
your clients are and what their needs are. How complex is the product or service
they are selling? Can human assistance make a big difference in online sales and service?
- Define your
call centers capabilities. What type of connections do you have? Will your hardware
support VoIP software? How much will the upgrades cost? Whose software will you use? There
are several vendors with VoIP-enabled CRM software in development, including eFusion,
eGain, VocalTec, and Sitebridge.
- Determine your
need for other collaborative tools such as remote control of a consumers PC, online
sales presentations, multipoint conferences, menu routing, and automated voice response
(AVR).
Although VoIP is getting closer to becoming more consumer-friendly, its still not
quite there yet. For instance, the consumers first-time experience with VoIP is
currently driving some people away. Twenty-five percent of consumers who have tried to
install the application didnt succeed. A first-time user must download the program
onto their computer in order to communicate with a call center agent; however, the current
installation wizards are so confusing that it takes a consumer, on average, four times to
successfully install and run the software. Thats a big problem, because not everyone
will give it four tries. Of course, software vendors are working diligently to improve
this, as it is a major reason why we have not yet seen a full implementation of the
technology.
According to Forrester Research, 66 percent of people who fill up their shopping carts
do not complete the sales process because they either make a mistake or think they made a
mistake. Voice interaction with a call center agent is supposed to alleviate some of this
anxiety, but in its current form, it just aggravates the situation. If customers are
turned off to the whole process the first time they come into contact with it, they will
never use it and the benefits will never be realized. This is why there are still
very few (if any) successful VoIP installations in call centers. Businesses are still
testing the technology and we are confident that a workable solution will be
realized very soon.
SIMPLIFYING THE PROCESS
Another challenge we have identified is that not all consumers computers have the
necessary capability to support VoIP software. The download interface asks the consumer if
they have "H.323 Internet phone capability," and most people just shrug their
shoulders. In fact, if someone is using Windows 95 or higher, they do have this
capability, but the average person doesnt know that. In order to simplify their
experience, we believe it is very important for the VoIP software to have a function that
automatically detects whether the users computer has the necessary capability or
not.
A third problem is the quality of the connection. Under perfect conditions, the sound
quality of VoIP communication is about the same quality as a cellular phone. However, when
conditions are not perfect, a caller experiences voice cut-outs, which are frustrating and
confusing. The most common cause of this problem is crowded Internet traffic and lack of
bandwidth. Data and voice both travel through the Internet, and when traffic is high, this
problem frequently occurs.
Another issue that is separating us from widespread VoIP adoption is bandwidth
(assuming that latency of the network elements has become a non-issue). With so many
people on the Internet, the low quality of VoIP is a factor against its widespread
adoption. As the Internet backbone is upgraded, or a new consumer access technology such
as Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) becomes commonplace, this should become less of an
obstacle.
Once the bugs are worked out, online businesses will see numerous benefits. Not only
will your business build good relationships with consumers, but your call center will find
its network connections simplified. Today, you have to integrate the PBX and
telephony-enabled IP network. With a fully VoIP-enabled call center, however, you will
only have to worry about a single network capable of supporting both data and voice
communications.
Additionally, the call center agent who uses VoIP technology to communicate with the
consumer is instantly more efficient. Most consumers only have one phone line to their
home, which means that if they need to call a customer service agent for immediate
assistance, they have to log off the Internet and pick up the phone to call the customer
service representative. When they are connected to the agent, they have to try and
remember exactly what their problem was, describe it to the agent, listen to instructions
and then go back online to try again. With VoIP, they can talk to the agent while they are
online, simply by pushing a button on their screen. The agent can pull up the same screen
the customer is having trouble with and walk them through the process, all without ever
losing their connection. It all goes back to CRM. Keep the customer happy, maintain the
relationship, and revenues will rise.
The VoIP software developers only have a few hurdles left to clear. We need a
first-time user experience that includes a fast, easy download, and an uncomplicated
installation process. And the telephone companies are moving quickly to deploy high-speed
access technologies for consumers, which should improve their ability to take advantage of
a VoIP-enabled infrastructure. Once these steps are taken, consumers will be ready to shop
online. It is our challenge, however, to keep them there.
Walker Angell is vice president of the technologies group for Eliance Corporation.
Eliance has completed more than 30 million Internet commerce payment transactions for
thousands of customers throughout the world. The company utilizes a "back-end
commerce engine" for its complete end-to-end payment solution. For more
information, visit Eliances Web site at www.eliancecorp.com.
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