Game Changing Customer Support Communities

1. COMMUNITIES

2. FEATURING THE EVOLUTION OF DOCUMENTATION AND CUSTOMER SUPPORT

3. AT WHAT POINT DOCUMENTATION DOES BECOME SUPPORT SUPPORT?

4. ANSWER ANSWER : WHEN IT’S PART OF A OF SERVICES THAT PROVIDE USER ASSISTANCE ASSISTANCE FOR A PRODUCT OR SERVICE USER

5. FUTURE First let’s trace the history First let’s trace the history

6. This is

7. DID You know: some scholars believe cave DID You know: some scholars believe cave paintings documented animal migration paintings documented animal migration patterns and hunting successes patterns and hunting successes

8. It solved the problem of recording early It solved the problem of recording early history history

9. AND THEN

10. Did you know: Egyptian scribes were high Did you know: Egyptian scribes were high on the social ladder alongside priests. on the social ladder alongside priests. WRITTEN CONTENT WRITTEN CONTENT

11. It solved the problem of documenting It solved the problem of documenting religion and agriculture but was only used religion and agriculture but was only used by a few educated people by a few educated people WRITTEN CONTENT WRITTEN CONTENT

12. ON PARCHMENT DID you KNOW: Parchment allowed the DID you KNOW: Parchment allowed the production of manuscripts which eventually production of manuscripts which eventually led to universities led to universities

13. ON PARCHMENT Which solved the problem of distributing Which solved the problem of distributing documentation and making it possible to documentation and making it possible to educate people on more complex subjects educate people on more complex subjects

14. THEN A MAJOR

15. GUTENBERG’S PRESS Did you know: The Press led Did you know: The Press led to a flood of printed to a flood of printed material in just a few short material in just a few short decades decades

16. GUTENBERG’S PRESS Which solved the problem of Which solved the problem of documenting and distributing documenting and distributing scientific discoveries scientific discoveries through scholarly journals through scholarly journals

18. IN MODERN TIMES

19. THE FIRST COOKBOOK FRENCH CUISINE Thus began the first modern day Thus began the first modern day trend to document repeatable trend to document repeatable processes for tradesmen processes for tradesmen

20. THE FIRST COOKBOOK FRENCH CUISINE Which solved the problem Which solved the problem of training many people on of training many people on how to make things how to make things

21. LATER THAT CENTURY

22. USER MANUALS BECAME POPULAR 1950’s the documentation the documentation of technology products trained of technology products trained people on how to use them people on how to use them

23. USER MANUALS BECAME POPULAR 1950’s Which solved the problem of Which solved the problem of quickly training people on quickly training people on how to use complicated tools how to use complicated tools

24. SOON THE DIGITAL

25. MEDIA Documentation page counts increased and rich Documentation page counts increased and rich media was needed to teach people even more media was needed to teach people even more complicated tools complicated tools

26. MEDIA Which solved the problem of shipping large Which solved the problem of shipping large documents at a low cost and added the ability documents at a low cost and added the ability to use rich media to use rich media

27. AND AND RECENTLY...

28. Static html Static html documentation that documentation that serves as customer serves as customer support support

29. Which solved the problem Which solved the problem of updating documentation of updating documentation and support materials and support materials without the need to without the need to reship updated media reship updated media

30. SO WHAT IS NEEDED FOR TODAY’S

31. RESEARCH STUDY RESEARCH STUDY : TOP CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT ONLINE SUPPORT “I go to Google “I go to Google instead” instead” “If I find the info it’s “If I find the info it’s not accurate or is out not accurate or is out of date” of date” “There’s not enough “There’s not enough content here to help content here to help me” me”

32. NOT NOT WORKING WORKING

33. It’s Time for a new approach isn’t it? It’s Time for a new approach isn’t it?

34. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM

35. TODAY TODAY’S S WEB SUPPORT WEB SUPPORT SITES ARE SITES ARE

36. AS ARE AS ARE PDF PDF SITES SITES

37. SO THERE’S So people leave your So people leave your site in search of the site in search of the answer elsewhere answer elsewhere Content is not rated Content is not rated and there is no and there is no feedback mechanism to feedback mechanism to alert you to incomplete alert you to incomplete or bad content or bad content Which leads to a Which leads to a scarcity of content or scarcity of content or irrelevant content irrelevant content

38. IT IT’S LIKE HEARING THE SAME S LIKE HEARING THE SAME PRE PRE- -RECORDED MESSAGE RECORDED MESSAGE OVER AND OVER AGAIN OVER AND OVER AGAIN

39. THAT DOESN’T WORK IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT

40. WHICH MEANS WHICH MEANS Customers call support Customers call support agents instead of agents instead of solving the problem on solving the problem on your support site your support site Customers get upset Customers get upset and leave your site and and leave your site and potentially arrive on potentially arrive on your competitor’s site your competitor’s site Less relevant content Less relevant content means lost revenue means lost revenue opportunities opportunities

41. WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE

42. WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE

43. AND AND UN UNFRIEN LY FRIEN LY

46. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE BECAUSE…

47. SUPPORT HAS L V O E V D E WITHTHE TIMES

48. AND HAS ADAPTED TO MARKET

49. TO SUPPORT

50. TODAY SO SO