CRM - August 2008 - (Page BP10)

10 August 2008 Sponsored Content Connect high tech customers to information and to each other with web-enabled customer service Helpstream is a brand new customer service application built for the Web from the ground up using innovative Software-asa-Service (SaaS) technology. Helpstream’s collaboration technologies and tight integration between case management, customer self service, knowledge management, and community applications enable organizations to transform and web-enable their service processes around one easy to use and deploy solution. In today’s Web-connected world, techsavvy consumers have vast resources at their disposal to find information and solve problems - and more web sites, blogs, wikis, and forums where they can voice their displeasure with a company or service. As more and more users turn to the Web, Customer Service organizations have far less visibility, influence and control over not only problem resolution procedures but also over what customers say about them out on the Web. This lack of visibility and control presents a significant problem for many high tech companies. Unfortunately, call deflection strategies designed to provide efficient service actually exacerbate this problem. They center customer interactions on resolving issues and lead solution seekers along structured paths to service agents who process requests and escalate to subject matter experts when necessary. Many customers find the resulting “us versus them” experience alienating. The good news is that engaging your customers on their terms over the Web is a very achievable goal with enormous ROI: • PROMOTE COMPANY GOODWILL AND POSITIVE “WORD OF MOUTH” OVER THE WEB THROUGH PEER-LEVEL COMPANY-TO-CUSTOMER AND CUSTOMER-TO-CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS INTEGRATED SELF SERVICE PORTAL The self-service portal provides a single web site where users can go to search for solution information, submit, update, or check status of a case, or pose a usage question to other users in the community. End users have easy access through the portal to the same solution information available to service representatives. CASE MANAGEMENT Helpstream’s case management provides rich functionality, including customizable fields, drop-down lists, and reports. Do business your way with customizable workflow, routing and escalations. Email integration allows end users to create, update, close, and rate cases via email. PROCEDURE MANAGEMENT AND INTERACTIVE CHECKLISTS Interactive Checklists and free-form articles. Access to each piece of content is controlled by permissions. COMMUNITY Helpstream’s most unique feature, for which it has 2 patents pending, is the procedure management technology called Interactive Checklists. Interactive Checklists enable a seamless transition between self service and agent-assisted service processes. A self service user can easily get help from an agent if he or she gets stuck on a specific step in a complex procedure and can move back into self service mode once the step-specific issue is resolved. Better yet, an agent can assign-out a checklist to an end user and track progress as the end user executes the procedure in self service mode, resulting in reduced agent workload and improved procedural compliance. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Another way solution content is created is through the community. Users submit questions to the community and then the user picks the “best answer” out of multiple answers. The best answer, once selected, becomes a wiki article that can be kept up-to-date by subsequent users. Helpstream’s forum and wiki technology provides an easy way to address some of the more common issues that drive up call volume. These same features accelerate the creation of solution content for new problems as they come up. By using a combination of these innovative community features, savvy companies tap into the “voice of the customer.” SUMMARY • BUILD LOYALTY BY PROVIDING CUSTOMERS A RICH AND EFFECTIVE SELF SERVICE EXPERIENCE AND PERSONALIZED, QUALITY SERVICES ACROSS MULTIPLE CHANNELS • REDUCE CUSTOMER CHURN, DECREASE SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE TIME TO PROFICIENCY AND ENABLE YOUR EXISTING SUPPORT TEAM TO SCALE TO INCREASING DEMAND The Helpstream knowledge base provides features similar to document content management systems. Helpstream’s knowledge base stores any type of file, each with publishing rights, version controls, and usage tracking built in. It includes integrated authoring tools for developing What’s really different about Helpstream is its Web-centric approach. It provides real advantages to technology companies that recognize the Web has changed things forever. By placing community at the forefront of customer service, Helpstream enables organizations of all sizes deliver personalized services in volume, drive increased revenue through low cost channels, and better understand customer attitudes.

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - August 2008

CRM - August 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Maximum Security A Code Win Doesn’t Blow Forming the Platform CRM on Twitter CRM Class Is in Session Making CRM Mandatory for University Administration Required Reading Cover Story: Calling it Quits Wouldja Look at That? 8 Enterprise Strategies That Stick CRM Searches for Search All Lines Are Not Busy UC: As Easy as A-B-C Even Contact Centers Have Room for Improvement Money Lying Around? Secret of My Success Re:Tooling Scouting Report Pint of View

CRM - August 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.