Inc

Think about the last time you tried to get help online. Did you complete numerous searches using different keywords, or read through multiple help articles that didn’t exactly match your problem? Did you attempt to interact with a chatbot that provided unnecessary information that you didn’t ask for? Maybe you spoke to a representative who asked you to try troubleshooting methods you already attempted, but to no avail.

If you can relate to any of these experiences, you know that, too often, companies leave it up to the “user” to best figure out how to resolve their issue. These companies are stuck in the past instead of using technology to provide specific, tailored recommendations for the user.

The future of customer support is a highly personalized experience, guiding visitors through a step-by-step set of options.

For many of us growing up, Choose Your Own Adventure (CYOA) books were commonplace. In fact, CYOA is one of the top five bestselling book series of all time, beating out Nancy Drew, The Hunger Games and Star Wars! There is a reason this series is so successful - it empowers readers with authority as they make their own unique choices from the selections they provide.

Customers of today want troubleshooting steps specific to their exact concerns, not a list of results that may or may not answer their questions. Interactive web solutions are able to provide this, much more so than unstructured documentation, such as a static PDF user manual. Even a search bar does not help consumers as much as a web-based interactive solution would; search bars require the user to guess appropriate keywords, select the correct options and understand the usage of company jargon. If instead the user could open the website and answer a series of questions to determine their product, concern and even root cause, the customer experience would be magical!

Picture this. You open the website. It asks you which product you have, a few relevant details about the product and a question or two about the issue you are having that made you request support. Within a few clicks, you have the option to read an article or watch a video that tells you exactly how to solve your unique concern, specific to your application. Magical!

At Hunter Douglas, we strive for a onecontact resolution, as this model would most often provide. The vision we are currently working toward imagines the following: When the user contacts us, our Customer Support Representative (CSR) will be aware of what steps the customer has already taken to troubleshoot the issue, including what path they took to get to their results and what options they selected throughout the process. 

Let’s say you tried resolving the issue on your own, but you still have a question. The website will direct you to work with a live agent in customer support. When this happens, the assisting CSR can glean metrics, most helpful for understanding where someone is getting stuck¬ and determining the reasons for why that may be happening¬¬. Before even speaking to the customer, the CSR receives the contact information and, instead of having to ask the customer to explain the situation again, is already aware of the product details, as well as the steps the customer has already taken. By already knowing the product details, the CSR can answer additional questions and provide further guidance without needing to gain additional insight.

 ​By being able to address concerns methodically and promptly, more problematic issues can be prevented, and superior customer support can be achieved. 

When the CSRs are provided insight into historical data relating to the situation, they can more easily pick up where the customer last left off, saving time and simplifying the overall customer experience. This process also guarantees cohesiveness by ensuring all representatives follow the same process every time. Instead of guessing as to what the next best troubleshooting step may be, employees will have the most accurate and efficient workflow in front of them, integrated right into their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) records. 

We are in the process building this model now. When finished, Hunter Douglas will be able to gain valuable and detailed insights into an array of topics within the business, including specific product concerns and potential software glitches. If there are recurring issues being communicated through the web solution, this is often emblematic of a larger problem. The company can take this data, and decide how to handle the concern, whether it be through product testing, software upgrades or improved instructions. By being able to address concerns methodically and promptly, more problematic issues can be prevented, and superior customer support can be achieved.

This solution provides customers with the opportunity to be the hero of their own story, just like in CYOA books. By selecting the options that are relevant to them, the customer will receive unique and specific results, eliminating the time and effort they must contribute in order to resolve their issue. Ease of use, cohesiveness of information, fast resolution times and dependable information all guarantee that this method is the future of customer support and online help.