Tips for Creating an
AMAZING
Self-Service Experience
6	
  
IT’S OFFICIAL….
SELF-SERVICE IS ONTHE
RISE
IN FACT…
prefer self-service to resolve their support issues
over picking up the phone or sending an email.
72% of customers 	
  
Forrester Research
But only HALFof them are
finding the information they’re
looking for!
Forrester Research
You need to build a
self-service experience
that your customers will
LOVE!
0SEARCH RESULTS
And not be faced with a lack
of product information.
That’s why Desk.com has put together
6 tips to creating an AMAZING
self-service experience for your
customers.
1.DO A PERIODIC
REVIEW OF ALL
KNOWLEDGE
BASE
ARTICLES
SET AN EXPIRATION DATE FOR
EVERY KNOWLEDGE BASE
ARTICLE
Use the Do.com integration
with Desk.com to easily add
tasks and manage support
center projects
In addition to tracking what people are searching
for in the support center, we try to read between
the lines and get a feel for what might be lacking
based on those searches (or what needs new
keywords to show up better in search). Anything
identified is added to our Do.com projects.
”	
  
“	
  
Dianna Potter
Support Engineer, Desk.com
BY SETTING AN EXPIRATION DATE…
KNOWLEDGE BASE CONTENT
IS CONSTANTLY UPDATED SOTHAT IT’S
FRESH AND RELEVANT
FORTHE CUSTOMER.
2.ALWAYS
IMPROVE
YOUR
KNOWLEDGE
BASE ARTICLES
I found this article helpful
I did not find this article helpful
ALLOW CUSTOMERSTO
RATE
KNOWLEDGE BASE CONTENT
Thank You✓	
  
ALLOW CUSTOMERSTO
RATE
KNOWLEDGE BASE CONTENT
Check out Desk.com’s
Content Management page
for all Knowledge Base
articles.
Managers are able to
see the ratings of
Knowledge Base
articles and evaluate
if it needs to be
revised or not
Identify the top 10 highest rated
and lowest rated knowledge base
articles that your customers use,
and rewrite them on a content
calendar.
”	
  
“	
  
Greg Meyer
Mentor, TechStars &
Customer Service Expert	
  
3.KEEPTHE
CUSTOMER’S
JOURNEY IN
MINDWHEN
WRITING A
KNOWLEDGE
BASE ARTICLE
SEARCH VIEW RESULTS READ
ARTICLE
FIND
SOLUTION
A	
   B	
  
C	
  
HERE IS A
TYPICAL CUSTOMER JOURNEY
SEARCH VIEW RESULTS READ
ARTICLE
FIND
SOLUTION
A	
   B	
  
C	
  
A	
   A customer searches for an
article, does not find relevant
search results and exits.
SEARCH VIEW RESULTS READ
ARTICLE
FIND
SOLUTION
A	
   B	
  
C	
  
B	
   A customer searches for an
article, reads an article, does not
find relevant information in the
article and exits.
SEARCH VIEW RESULTS READ
ARTICLE
FIND
SOLUTION
A	
   B	
  
C	
  
C	
   A customer searches for an
article, reads an article, does not
find relevant information and
returns to searching.
SEARCH VIEW RESULTS READ
ARTICLE
FIND
SOLUTION
A	
   B	
  
C	
  
MAKE SURE KNOWLEDGE BASE CONTENT IS OPTIMIZED
TO SO THAT THE CUSTOMER GETS…
SEARCH VIEW RESULTS READ
ARTICLE
FIND
SOLUTION
A	
   B	
  
C	
  
HERE!
MAKE SURE KNOWLEDGE BASE CONTENT IS OPTIMIZED
TO SO THAT THE CUSTOMER GETS…
4.EXAMPLE OF
AN AWESOME
ONLINE
SUPPORT
CENTER
WHY DOES SPACE HEROES HAVE AN
AWESOME
ONLINE SUPPORT CENTER?
The Space Heroes support center is
fun and designed around their brand.
The customer feels they are in their
element and overall comfortable with
the support center.
If a customer can not find the article
he/she is looking for, Space Heroes’s
contact information is only a click
away. Make sure an escalation path is
easily laid out for the customer.
“Browse by Topic” is a simple and
effective way layout for customers to
easily navigate. With just a few clicks,
customers can locate and read the
article they are looking for.
5.PROACTIVELY
FLAG CASES
THAT NEED
SELF-SERVICE
CONTENT
Make sure you’re flagging
cases that have a need for
self-help content. Keep a list
and keep writing up those
articles.
”	
  
“	
  
Graham Murphy
Director of Customer WOW, Desk.com	
  
Tracy Hisaka
Jaime Kavanagh
Customer
When a Customer WOW agent
experiences multiple customer
inquiries with the same
question, they label them as
“Support Center Candidates”
where the ticket is then
evaluated as a possible new
piece of content.
Tracy Hisaka
Jaime Kavanagh
Customer
When a Customer WOW agent
experiences multiple customer
inquiries with the same
question, they label them as
“Support Center Candidates”
where the ticket is then
evaluated as a possible new
piece of content.
BY FLAGGING CASES,YOU’RE ACTIVELY
DEFLECTING CALLS AND EMAILS.
MEANING…
CUSTOMERS ARE SERVINGTHEMSELVES
AND NO LONGER CALLING OR EMAILING
YOUR SUPPORTTEAM.
6.OPTIMIZE
YOUR
SUPPORT
CENTER FOR
ALL DEVICES
50% of smartphone users
would prefer to use a mobile customer
service app to try to resolve their
customer service issue before
calling a contact center.
-EchoResearch
Provide a consistent
multichannel
experience and allow
customers to solve
their own problems
on the go!
LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT
SELF-SERVICE SUPPORT?
DOWNLOAD OUR 35-PAGE EBOOK:
“THE ULTIMATE GUIDETO SELF-SERVICE
SUPPORT FOR FAST-GROWING COMPANIES”
DOWNLOAD NOW
Also don’t forget to check
out Desk.com to help your
company provide amazing
self-service support!

6 Tips for Creating an AMAZING Self-Service Experience