Pitney Bowes User Forumforums.pb.com

Pitney Bowes User ForumConversation “Threads”

Message posts and repliesPitney Bowes User Forum

Users are rewarded by their peers for useful answers through “Kudos” and “Accepted Solution” tags.Users build reputation through a system of ranks and roles.Pitney Bowes User ForumReputation and Feedback encourage participation

ROI2008 Rate Change: A Case StudyWe launched the Forum in April 2008 with an initial goal of Rate Change Support call deflectionIn 2007, we had had 417,000 phone support calls just related to rate change.Typical support call costs $10 or morePitney Bowes staffs up temporary call centers to support Rate Change.

Typical support call costs $10 or more

Pitney Bowes staffs up temporary call centers to support Rate Change.

Drove traffic to forum from all rate change related pages on PB.com and from emailVolume on May 12, the day RC took effect was > 10 times our average daily volume.Moderators from Rate Change group and CSR handled questionsCustomers answered many questionsROI: 2008 Rate Change

Drove traffic to forum from all rate change related pages on PB.com and from email

Volume on May 12, the day RC took effect was > 10 times our average daily volume.

Moderators from Rate Change group and CSR handled questions

Customers answered many questions

Specific answer posting20% deflection*ROI: 2008 Rate ChangeGeneral info posting5% deflection*39,065 views7,817 saved calls $78K savings500,000 total views25,000 saved calls $250K savings* Groundswell, Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff, Forrester Research, 2008

Call deflection savings for Rate Change issues during May 2008 alone were more than $300K, or 2-3 times our annual cost for the forum.This was one month after the Forum was launched.ROI: 2008 Rate Change

Pitney Bowes User Forum“Ask the Expert” eventsThink Tank pilot program

Goal of Special EventsRate changeAsk ExpertKeeping users engaged between rate changes

Community Drives SuccessAnd “Superusers” drive the community…The 90-9-1 Rule:90% only browse9% post rarely1% provide most of the contentDell has more than 100 users who each spend more than 40 hours a week on the forum!

90% only browse

9% post rarely

1% provide most of the content

“Karios” – our rising superuser

Online longer than 6 mos.“Karios” – our rising superuserEach post continues to collect views over time:Posts that have been online longer than 6 months have been viewed, on average, more than 2,000 times.Call deflection value to PB of each post is ~$2,000Total value of Karios’ 53 posts so far: $106,000A user who posted one answer a day would be worth $520,000 in call deflection each year

Posts that have been online longer than 6 months have been viewed, on average, more than 2,000 times.

Call deflection value to PB of each post is ~$2,000

Total value of Karios’ 53 posts so far: $106,000

A user who posted one answer a day would be worth $520,000 in call deflection each year

How Do We Get There?Build TrafficNurture SuperusersRepeat

ZDNet Article, 6/25/09

PR-Customer Interaction