Beyond the Traditional Knowledge Base and CRM

A new survey released today reveals some of the most critical and costly challenges facing customer support departments, and the negative impact on customer service metrics.

The survey results indicate that the biggest problems are caused by inefficient access to the information needed to solve customer issues, as data continues to proliferate beyond the traditional knowledge base and CRM.

The survey was conducted by Omega Management Group Corp., experts in customer experience management (CEM) strategy and sponsor of the annual NorthFace ScoreBoard Award(SM) for excellence in customer service and support, and Coveo, a provider of Enterprise Search 2.0 and Customer Information Solutions.

Key survey findings include the following:

The Knowledge Base is No Longer Enough: In Some Companies, More Than 20 Systems Contain Customer Information

While nearly 70 percent of customer service organizations surveyed have invested in a knowledge base, that same percentage reports that the knowledge base does not contain the information necessary for agents to solve customer issues.

For companies with 251-500 agents, 83 percent cannot find the information in the knowledge base.

For companies with more than 10,000 employees, 43 percent report that information that contact center agents need to solve customer issues resides in more than 20 different systems.

Lack of Access to Customer Information Creates Contact Center Challenges

70 percent of survey respondents indicated that they are facing significant challenges as a result of agents not being able to find necessary customer information.

Respondents listed case handling time (50 percent), customer satisfaction (49 percent), and first contact resolution (FCR) (49 percent) as the top three challenges.

The Costs of Inefficiency

Knowledge base operational challenges can have a significant impact on a company's bottom line. 30 percent of participants estimated the impact between $100,000 to $1 million per year, including six percent who put the cost at $1 to $5 million.

Nearly 48 percent of respondents said less than 10 percent of customer service interactions generate revenue through cross-selling and up-selling, showing a significant opportunity to change contact centers from cost centers to revenue producers.

Results were compiled from a survey conducted in February 2011 of managers, vice presidents, and C-level executives from the computer hardware & software, complex manufacturing, medical devices, and technology services industries, responsible for customer service and support operations.

Laurent Simoneau, CEO, Coveo said:

"It's clear from the survey results that the concept and promise of moving all customer service content and data into a single repository has failed as information continues to proliferate. As today's customer support infrastructures become complex knowledge ecosystems comprised of many different information silos, we encourage companies to leave the data where it is, and provide ubiquitous access to it regardless of where it resides. This gives agents, managers and executives a 360 degree view of customer information and the ability to more efficiently service customers, improve customer service metrics, and positively impact the bottom line."

Tony Santilli, Vice President, Client Services, Omega, added:

"A positive customer experience directly impacts customer satisfaction, renewal rates, and other important metrics. The survey data clearly indicates that arming customer service teams with the knowledge and information they need to best service customers is an important step in driving up customer satisfaction rates, and in turn, positively impacting the bottom line."

Webinar: Senior Practitioners and Executives Discuss Research Findings

Senior customer support practitioners and executives from Omega Management Group Corp. and Coveo will present the study's findings during a webinar on Thursday, March 31, 2011 at 12:00 p.m. ET. Panelists will discuss the implications of the survey for contact centers, and offer insight into how to manage the plethora of customer systems and information, and how to measure the impact on customer satisfaction. Registrants receive a copy of the complete survey report. Register here: http://bit.ly/researchwebinar.

About Coveo

Coveo provides Enterprise Search 2.0-powered information access solutions. The Coveo Platform transforms disparate structured and unstructured data, from virtually any system, into actionable, on-demand knowledge. Coveo consolidates and correlates content into dynamic 360° views about customers, projects, people, processes and products, to inject knowledge into key business processes. Coveo Customer Information Solutions, based on the Coveo Platform, include specialized components designed for customer service and sales organizations. Enterprise Search 2.0 allows companies to finally stop moving data, and start accessing knowledge. Information and video demos are available at www.coveo.com.

About Omega Management Group

Since 1984, the Omega Management Group Corp. has been a recognized expert in developing and implementing customer and employee experience management strategy (CEM) programs that lead to increased product and service revenue and profits. Services include customer and employee surveys, employee incentive programs, benchmark research and analysis, consulting, key account retention strategies, win-back strategies and marketing of customer satisfaction results to stakeholders and the marketplace. For more information on how to qualify for the NorthFace ScoreBoard Award or to attend Omega's annual customer industry event SCORE Conference, taking place April 27-29 in Boston, visit www.omegascoreboard.com or call (800) 711-5196.

 

 

Read more customer service news