What is meant by Knowledge base?
A knowledge base is a central repository that contains all records of an organization such as reports, data, information related to dealers, customers, agents, and feedbacks, etc. The entire information is arranged chronologically in a streamlined manner so that employees can access any information with ease.
What is the knowledge base for customer self-service?
A customer knowledge base is specifically designed to keep the customers in mind. It assists customers through chatbots and digital channels. A customer service knowledge base helps in the deflection of calls besides looking after other KPIs. It plays an important role in distributing knowledge that is consistent, simple to use, and actionable over all platforms.
What are the essential features of a good knowledge base?
- Accurate information– The knowledge base should consist of accurate information to prevent agents from passing on inaccurate information to end-users. The knowledge base should be compiled by people who are experts in that specific field to avoid any errors.
- Consistent information– The information contained in the knowledge base is circulated over multiple channels and platforms. It is thus essential that it is consistent and error-free. To ensure this, it is regularly checked by content creators and other designated persons to ensure that only verifiable information reaches the customer.
- Speed – Speed plays a very important role in transferring information from the knowledge base to the agents. The information required by the agent should be immediately available for quick resolution of queries.
- Simple to Use– The customers and agents should be able to access information with ease so that they use it more often. It is human tendency to shy away from a task that may seem complicated. A good knowledge base is designed to assist all stakeholders.
- 24*7 Availability– a knowledge base is an accessible round the clock so that ready assistance is provided at all times. There should be no restriction of working hours for employees or customers seeking some information at odd times.
- Omnichannel Presence– A customer should have the leverage to reach out to an organization in whatever way he likes. An ideal knowledge base is functional over all platforms so that customers have to lodge their complaints just once.
Why is it beneficial to have a customer knowledge base?
In today’s fast-paced world, customers are more concerned about the service that is provided by the company, rather than the product itself. If their queries and doubts are not resolved quickly through various channels, they may move on to some other brand. Needless to say, a customer once spun-off is a customer lost forever. A recent study reveals that about 785 of customers decide on buying a product after satisfying themselves about the after-sales service being provided by the company.
A knowledge base is prepared after an in-depth study about the product and by considering all the future problems that may arise. All the stakeholders like the agents and the dealers are provided with product training so that they are empowered to deal with any problems related to the product on their own.
Let us look at some more benefits of a knowledge base.
- Customer retention– With tough competition between different companies, it needs innovative ideas now and then to retain existing customers. A customer will remain loyal to the brand as long as he is satisfied with the customer service provided to him. A knowledge base ensures that their queries are resolved easily through self-service and they do not have to bear with long-duration calls to the service center.
- Increased Sales– More satisfied customers invariably leads to a boost in sales and consequently an increased revenue which is the ultimate aim of any organization.
- Customer Satisfaction(CSAT)– A comprehensive knowledge base coupled with a well-trained staff leads to customer satisfaction which is of utmost importance for the growth of the organization. This also helps the skilled workforce to convert each opportunity to benefit.
- Company Goodwill-A good knowledge base helps build customer trust and brand image in the days to come. The organization can maintain its core vision via self-service platforms and service agents who with their helpful nature and information assist the customers.
- Ticket Deflection– A knowledge base is periodically updated to maintain quality content. It helps in directing a query to the concerned person such as the technical team, field agents, our self-service platform as per the requirement. This feature helps in reducing AHT and helps agents in saving time.
- Decreases Support Cost– With the advancement in technology, all information in the knowledge base is stored on the cloud and integrated on a single centralized platform. High-resolution rate results in low support costs and the companies can save by allocating different resources intelligently.
- Proficiency Training –New call center employees are hired every day and it becomes difficult to train each individual. This process results in a wastage of time and resources. A knowledge base with LMS proves very useful here. By using the appropriate knowledge base software, a learning management system can be used to train new and old employees. This is a great help in onboarding new employees.
Conclusion:
When we think of a call center, what generally comes to our mind is the continuous sound of telephone bells ringing and harried service agents juggling multiple numbers of calls to satisfy the customers on call.
Most of the employees in a service center are generally overburdened and overworked as they attend calls of customers one after the other. There is no doubt in the fact that satisfying the customers by providing consistent and accurate information is the key to build trust. The knowledge base for contact center is a perfect solution to many problems. However, it is essential to integrate the best knowledge base that is intelligent enough to solve all queries and can be adapted to the customer service environment.
Knowledge management has revolutionized the way call centers work and are continuously being updated according to the latest technology. In this digital age, companies generate a huge volume of data that has to be processed in a streamlined way. Use knowledge management tools and see your business grow!
