If there is one thing we have learned in recent weeks’ turbulence, it is that there is a great need for updated, verified and consistent information. Meeting that need requires processes, resources and skilled personnel. Having a smart platform for centralized information management also helps. It allows you to make updates in one place and publish them to all channels, internal and external. It works even better when the platform helps capture questions from the target group, learns what is “hot” and learns to prioritize and assure the quality of information that is presented.
Whether customers or other stakeholders are browsing your web site, sending an e-mail, reaching out in social media or calling to talk to customer service, the message and response you deliver should be the same. Consistency builds trust.
The last thing you want in an unsettled situation is to wrestle with a plethora of systems where changes may need to be managed by different departments or system owners to take effect. Instead of minutes, you’re looking at days before all information is in place. And with the rapid development we are experiencing now, the information may very well be outdated by then.
With the right tools, it will be easier to make the insights below come true. They are based on what we have seen to be the success factors for many of our customers in recent weeks.
Make it easy to update and review
In a situation where information needs to be updated and reviewed frequently and with short lead times, simplicity is important. An assigned editor should be able to revise content and submit for approval without the assistance of technical staff. And you might have to quickly give more people editor permissions.
Make sure that employees are kept in the loop
With a central knowledge management system, your own employees are kept up to date. When your agent support system shares content with external channels, there’s no need for agents to browse your own website to double-check that they are providing the latest information.
Learn from your users
When the outside world is changing rapidly, information needs can also change from one day to another. In order to maintain good service, it’s important to keep track and make the most requested information easily accessible and to fill any gaps. A self-learning information platform makes this work easier. It can capture visitors’ ratings of how well specific content answered their question. It can also create and maintain dynamic top lists of the topics that are most in demand.
Highlight especially important information
If you want to highlight critical information on your website, make sure it stands out visually. It is a great help for returning visitors who understand that this is something of special importance. For example, it may be useful if you adjust opening hours or want to communicate an issue where you are experiencing particularly high interest.
Capture the questions from the web
If your web site visitors search for information or use a chat bot on your site, their search phrases and messages are important input to your communication strategy. Use searches and questions to identify gaps in your information and quickly fill those gaps by presenting relevant answers to trending searches on your web. It may save valuable customer service capacity.
Offer a way ahead
Regardless of where and how the information journey begins, it is important to offer a path forward and avoid knowledge lapses. If, for example, a FAQ or chatbot does not have the answer that the customer is looking for, you should offer additional contact routes. Preferably with expected waiting time.
Standalone or integrated knowledge
An AI-driven knowledge base like ACE Knowledge works just fine on its own to handle all types of information in web interfaces. For added benefit, it can of course be integrated with other customer contact channels, making the customer conversation move seamlessly between different media, all while keeping context.
Telia offers ACE Knowledge as a standalone product, or as a component of our scalable and modular ACE Cloud offering.
