Answer by Bruce Mowery, Vice President of Marketing, Support.com

Companies like BellSouth, Cisco Systems and IBM are among the most innovative in their deployment of support automation software. One thing these companies have in common is their dedication to turning the support paradigm on its head -- they've shifted their support model to begin with self-service versus the more traditional use of phone support as the first point of customer or employee contact. For them, self-service isn't an add-on feature hidden on their Web sites. It's fully integrated into their service and support process. These companies and many others have made self-service software payoff for their customers, employees and themselves by recognizing a few essential truths:

POWER RESTS WITH THE PEOPLE

Successful self-service solutions focus on how the technology can provide guided, intelligent and, most importantly, personalized self-service - proactively and automatically. This is an appealing value-add to many users, including the technically sophisticated and demanding customers who view self-service as giving them more control and choice in solving their problems. For example -

BellSouth's broadband service subscribers are noted as very receptive to doing things for themselves. For these DSL customers, self-service is deemed a value-add to a superior customer service offering -- and positive response to enhanced support technologies has helped give BellSouth the telecommunications industry's premier customer service rating eight years in a row.

Companies are not only focusing on user-friendly software, they're making sure the technology provides customers with an easy-to-navigate self-service online environment: Eliminate confusion, provide clear, non-jargon answers that are context sensitive, allow for "one-click" fixes and keep the user in control to build their confidence in self-service.

Self-service doesn't start and stop with technology. It's a process that gets better with fine-tuning. Smart companies constantly test what works and what doesn't work through online questionnaires and software that provide quantifiable business insights. They can then proactively attack frequently asked questions and problems that typically cause distress. Very few companies do significant research and seek enough customer or employee feedback to learn what's helpful and what's not. Real people power comes from real-time input.

ME, MYSELF AND I

A good answer to a problem often isn't enough. A great answer is one that is personalized to each individual. A optimal self-service solution provides for personalized, permission-based information with full privacy protection that is automatically gathered -- about the user, their computer system, the product and the problem -- to answer user questions faster and more precisely. Cisco Systems continues to deploy support automation software globally to a workforce of "non-standardized" computing users. Support automation software is helping them better manage the diversity and complexity of employees' varying operating systems - regardless of the users' technological and geographical boundaries.

Companies pushing the limits of self-service software are taking a comprehensive approach. IBM has integrated various customer service technologies so that no matter where customers go for help -- email, chat, knowledge database - if self-service can't deliver an acceptable answer, assisted service is easily within reach. Here, customer service representatives benefit from a detailed history of how the user has already tried to solve their problem, along with information about the user, the system, and the problem to provide fast resolution. At IBM, the entire assisted-service process can be monitored, so a customer representative can interject and contact the user to resolve the issue proactively in case the user is struggling. At each step in the support process the customer is treated uniquely rather than anonymously.

DON'T JUST BE DIFFERENT, BE BETTER.

Most companies don't provide any incentives to switch from costly phone support to the efficiency of the Web, whether it's supporting employees or customers. Some companies do little more than put an e-mail address on the Web site and confuse this with customer self-service. Other companies try and dictate a support solution for their employees with little success.
To lead customer service, successful companies must remain committed to Internet-based self-service software while promoting change among longtime customers and loyal employees. Take a look at the challenges large enterprises face when implementing a self-service solution. Cisco Systems, with 35,000 employees in 75 countries -- 80 percent of who work remotely, successfully promoted its reputation as a leading customer-centric organization through a disciplined approach that recognizes that technology alone isn't the answer. Successful self-service requires a strong commitment to planning and process, including a staged rollout of the solution to gain "small wins" and an effective internal "marketing" campaign among its employees. In Cisco's case, the result was not only a measurable reduction in costs but a measurable increase in employee productivity. And as the enterprise continues to grow, self-help solutions can effortlessly scale to include a population of employees, partners, and a global customer base. Now that makes users happy. And it makes a positive difference in the way companies do business.

About the Author:
Bruce Mowery, Vice President of Marketing, Support.com
Mr. Mowery has served as vice president of marketing at Support.com since January 2001. He previously held senior marketing positions at Apple Computer as well as two pioneering technology companies, MNI Interactive and Visioneer. Most recently, Mr. Mowery was employed as the executive vice president of marketing and business development at more.com. A graduate of The Ohio State University, The American Graduate School of International Management, Mr. Mowery also holds a diploma from INSEAD, Europe's leading business management school.