The document provides an overview of the key elements needed for a complete internet customer service solution, including understanding customer wants, providing self-service options and live support, capturing feedback, and managing the solution. It discusses how companies can improve customer satisfaction and reduce costs by implementing dynamic knowledge bases, email management, live chat, and automated surveys in their online customer service.

1. Insider’s Guide to the Key Elements of a Complete
Internet Customer Service Solution
by Jeff Honeycomb, RightNow Technologies
 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

2. Contents
Executive Summary ......................................................... 1
Understanding What Customers Want ................................ 1
Now Give Customers What They Want ............................... 2
Now Manage and Measure What You Gave Them ................. 4
Don’t Forget to Bask in The Results ................................... 5
About the Author ............................................................. 6
About RightNow Technologies ........................................... 7
 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

3. Executive Summary
In a perfect customer service world, every customer exchange delights the
customer—resulting in ever-increasing satisfaction and loyalty. This leads to
larger, more frequent, and recurring profitable purchases. The happy
customer then tells others about the experience, creating the best
investment on the planet: word-of-mouth advertising.
Unfortunately, the online world is anything but perfect. Most companies fail
to realize that when they take their business to the Web, customer inquiries
double or even triple. This onslaught quickly spirals costs and overwhelms
even the most competent customer support staffs. According to studies by
Jupiter Communications, nearly half of the most well-known online
companies are overwhelmed by customer inquiries and take five or more
days to respond to customers’ simple email requests—if they respond at all.
Disappointing a single customer can have horrific repercussions. According to
Paul Timm, author of “50 Powerful Ways to Keep Your Customers,” when a
customer has a bad experience with a company, s/he typically tells 11
others. If that experience was especially horrendous, those 11 will each tell
five others for a total of 67 people buzzing about your incompetence. On the
other hand, if you astonish a customer with marvelous service, s/he’ll tell five
others who then each tell two others for a total of 16 people singing your
praises.
Today, with the Internet’s global reach and speed of delivery, individual
customers have the power to either enhance or tarnish your reputation with
a few clicks of the mouse. Clearly, moving your business online is risky. But
staying on the sidelines surrenders market share to your competitors. So
what to do?
Start by Understanding What Online Customers Want
Typical customers arrive on a Web site looking for information that addresses
their specific needs. Like most people today, these customers are time-
starved and eager to quickly locate answers. Self-service is not only more
satisfying for customers, it’s also the most cost-effective customer service a
business can provide.
If answers aren’t attainable through self-service, online customers then start
a dialog with the company via email or live chat—whichever is preferred.
Most users prefer email, although in many purchase situations, customers
would rather speak with a live person via chat session.
Once an inquiry is closed after an email or live chat session, the best
software enables the results to be published into an ever-growing, dynamic
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 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

4. knowledge base, so similar future inquiries can be answered immediately
through self-service. This approach carries the dual benefits of increasing
customer satisfaction while reducing the number of costly email and live chat
responses needed to satisfy the customer.
Finally, an effective solution must close the loop by providing a means for
customer feedback and satisfaction on Web interactions. Customers
appreciate an easy way to provide feedback and want to feel that their
feedback is truly valued. They’re also open to receiving regular
communications with the company as long as those communications are
relevant to customer needs.
Now Give Customers What They Want
Self-Service
Self-service via accurate and relevant Web site content provides the first,
fastest and most cost-efficient way of answering the vast majority of
customer inquiries, usually between 70%-90%. Customers receive an
immediate, accurate and meaningful answer—which immediately boosts their
satisfaction and increases the chances they will return to your site. It also
reduces the costs associated with answering email, live chat, or telephone
inquiries.
The best self-service is based on dynamic knowledge bases that “learn” with
each customer inquiry. These knowledge bases can be initially seeded with
just a few knowledge items, and then grow as customer interactions from
email and chat sessions are dynamically captured and published back to the
knowledge base. The information is organized and ranked based on its
relevancy as determined by actual customer interactions. The knowledge
items are automatically managed by assigning them “half-lives” so they
eliminate themselves when no longer relevant.
One company, Big Planet, a nationwide provider of Internet services,
implemented a dynamic knowledge base on it’s Web site and had spectacular
results. Because customers were better able to serve themselves, phone calls
to the Big Planet call center immediately dropped 10%-20%, saving the
company an estimated $100,000 a month.
Email Management
Email management provides an effective and necessary escalation path from
self-service for customers who prefer this form of interaction or have unique
inquiries not yet captured in the knowledge base. Email can be intelligently
routed to the appropriate customer service representative (CSR) based on
workloads, expertise, or even customer mood. Email management has the
capability of sending auto-responses and/or helping service reps search the
knowledge base to find the appropriate answers. Once an inquiry is closed,
responses can then be automatically published to the knowledge base,
reducing similar email inquiries in the future.
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 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

5. Motorola implemented an email management system and witnessed its
volume of emails drop 50% the very next day. Email volume for the following
month declined 66%. Air Canada installed a similar system and saw its
10,000 monthly emails immediately drop to 4,000 (a 60% reduction). During
the same period, traffic to Air Canada’s self-service section of their Web site
increased dramatically—proving customers prefer helping themselves to
information.
Live Chat
Live chat provides a personal, one-to-one level of interaction with your most
important customers—immediately. Live chat can also minimize abandoned
shopping carts in sales situations. And, the published conclusions of live chat
sessions provide yet another customer feedback capture opportunity for the
knowledge base.
ScholarOne, whose customer base doubled in six months, produces a
customized Web site front end for each of their clients and funnels them to a
RightNow WebTM support page. RightNow WebTM also provides support for the
main ScholarOne site and allows a CSR staff of just four to handle all
requests quickly and efficiently. ScholarOne reports that while the company’s
client base has grown by 100%, the number of cases they have to handle
has gone down by 17%—primarily due to RightNow Web’sTM workflow rules
and Auto Respond technology. ScholarOne also reports that their clients love
the RightNow LiveTM chat feature. Because their clients are located all over
the world, and phone calls are charged against their grants, live chat has
saved them enormous amounts of money.
Automated Customer Feedback
Without an ongoing tool that promotes dialog and solicits customer feedback,
you’re left navigating by assumption and speculation, and disconnected from
customer desires. Today’s competitive eCRM marketplace demands
immediate, efficient methods of capturing this critically important customer
feedback.
The best feedback mechanisms automatically query and tabulate customer
satisfaction after every closed customer inquiry. This greatly simplifies and
enhances the collection of external customer feedback while accurately
measuring your internal service operation performance. By closing the loop
on each customer incident with a survey, you gain the valuable feedback
needed to improve your operation and build customer loyalty. This is crucial
because in competitive marketplaces, loyal customers are six times more
likely to purchase from you than merely satisfied customers.
Also important is the ability to create customizable online surveys so you can
easily ask your customers anything under the sun. Surveys can be used to
identify customer demographics, test product concepts, track brand
recognition, or conduct real-time polling right on your Web site. Today’s
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 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

6. technology allows surveys to be launched by email, installed to pop up on
specific Web pages, or upon exiting a Web site. Compiled results arrive
instantly while eliminating the expense of traditional surveys. Ongoing, real-
time customer feedback enhances decision making quality and effectiveness.
The Social Security Administration recently implemented a survey tool for its
35,000 visitors a day. Visitor feedback is making the SSA’s published
answers more accurate and understandable for future visitors.
Now Manage and Measure What You Gave Them
Today’s online customer service software technology provides a number of
robust back office abilities. Leading edge businesses use a combination of the
following tools to make accurate and profitable decisions.
Workflow Management
Workflow management ensures customer inquiries are routed to the most
appropriate agent, and enables agents to manage inquiries in the best
possible manner. Workflow focuses on customer needs and allows
customizable rules. Inquiries are routed based upon content, customer
ranking, and even customer mood. Workflow management mirrors your best
business practices so it can be managed with greater organizational
efficiency. This produces higher customer satisfaction at a lower cost.
Reporting
Reporting enables administrators to make effective decisions and manage the
entire customer service function. You can measure everything from most
common inquiries, to overall response times, to individual staff activity.
Customizable options allow you to easily create reports that provide the data
you need to make the most accurate and profitable decisions.
Hosting
Hosting is a critical component of a complete, online service solution. Many
companies don’t have the time, expertise, or personnel needed to administer
the system on their own servers. Hosting the software on a vendor’s server
enables your company to deploy a complete Internet customer service
solution with virtually no impact on your staff or technical resources. Cost
savings, reliability and access to the latest scalable technology and tools are
other considerations that make hosting attractive for many organizations.
Integration
Integration is the final component of the customer service framework, and it
provides the linkage and connection to other applications throughout the
enterprise. You’ll want your solution to be compatible with popular systems
like Remedy, Vantive, Onyx, Clarify and Quintus. Your vendor should offer
installation, training, support and guarantees that the system will operate as
promised.
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 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

7. Don’t Forget to Bask in the Results
Yes, there’s a lot involved in providing impressive online customer service.
But when implemented correctly, online customer service can be as
successful for you as it has been for Specialized Bicycles, a premier
manufacturer of bicycles and accessories.
With legions of dedicated customers and more than 4,000 dealers in the US
and overseas, Specialized Bicycles’ support needs were challenging. Its
answers to customer queries needed to be swift and concise while
maintaining a personal touch. Five hundred emails and calls everyday made
this task exceptionally difficult.
After installing an online customer service software solution, customer
satisfaction increased dramatically, and Web traffic to the site began growing
by 10% a month. Simultaneously, requests for personal assistance dropped
by the same percentage. The company’s email is now answered within 24
hours, and Specialized saw a 100% return on their software investment in
less than a month.
Businesses like Specialized Bicycles realize that as business moves to the
Web, many of the traditional differentiators such as location, size, and
merchandising savvy no longer carry such clout. But one traditional
differentiator has become even more essential—superior customer service.
Today’s customers expect to quickly locate the information and answers
they’re looking for on your Web site. Without a dynamic knowledge base that
provides email and live chat escalation paths, an automated tool that collects
customer feedback, and a system that offers powerful reporting capabilities,
you have little chance of providing the superior customer service that
customers demand.
Embrace these tools and you not only improve customer satisfaction and
loyalty, you gain those pivotal twin marketing benefits: word-of-mouth and
word-of-mouse. Once you reach this pinnacle of service, you truly have
provided the complete Internet customer service solution.
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 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

8. About the Author
Jeff Honeycomb joined RightNow Technologies in 1999, having previously
served in key management positions with Brightwork Development, Central
Point Software, Lanier Business Products and Network Associates, Inc. As
vice president of business direct sales at Network Associates (1994-99), Jeff
guided a force of 250 salespeople in 1998 to sales revenue exceeding $250
million. Under his leadership, this publicly held company became the leading
provider of network security and management tools to small and medium-
sized companies. Jeff also served as vice president, Europe, and vice
president, Eastern sales, for Network Associates. During Jeff's tenure, total
company revenues grew almost 40-fold, from $25 million to $990 million.
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 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.

9. About RightNow Technologies
RightNow Technologies is a leading global provider of proven
eService solutions that deliver rapid time-to-benefit and quick ROI.
RightNow was named the second fastest-growing independent
software company in the U.S. by Softletter, an industry newsletter.
RightNow’s comprehensive solutions include Web-based self-service,
email response management, live chat and collaboration, and
service analytics. These solutions feature an integrated product
architecture, highly intuitive interfaces, and centralized workflow
management – all based on a proprietary customer-driven, self-
learning knowledge base.
RightNow customers include Air Canada, Ben & Jerry’s, Black &
Decker, British Airways, Fijitsu, Motorola, Nortel, Sanyo, Social
Security Administration, Sprint, and more than 1,100 other
organizations in a wide range of vertical markets.
Founded in 1995, RightNow has offices in Bozeman, Dallas, London,
Sydney, and Tokyo. RightNow’s products are available in 15
languages worldwide. To learn more, visit www.rightnow.com or
call 877-363-5678 or 406-522-4200.
Headquarters Dallas Office United Kingdom Office Australia Office
RightNow Technologies, Inc. RightNow Technologies, Inc. RightNow Technologies (UK) Ltd. RightNow Technologies
40 Enterprise Blvd. 1501 Luna Road, Suite 138 1st Floor (Australia) Pty Ltd.
PO Box 9300 Carrollton, TX 75006 58 Herschel Street Level 15
Bozeman, MT 59718-9300 Slough, Berkshire 99 Walker Street
Main Phone +1-972-323-5600 SL1 1PG North Sydney, NSW 2060
Main Phone +1-406-522-4200 Toll Free 1-877-277-3898
Toll Free 1-877-363-5678 Fax +1-972-466-0752 Main Phone +44 (0) 1753 89 4900 Main Phone +62 2 9657 13 66
Fax +1-406-522-4227 Fax +44 (0) 1753 89 4901 Fax +62 9657 13 53
Japan Office
Mitsui & Company, Ltd.
Mitsui RightNow Technologies
IT Solution Division
2-9 Kanda Nishiki-cho
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo, Japan
101-0054
Main Phone +81 3 3233 2130
Fax +81 3 3233 2150
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 2001 RightNow Technologies, Inc.