Improving Case Deflection With Community-CRM Integration
Thriving businesses, among many things, wield unparalleled support delivery as their weapon to combat this fierce competition. It may work for now but this might not be the case in the long run without a data-driven, strategic approach.
So, is there a permanent solution to this problem?
Of course, there is! An organized knowledge base that offers an exceptional self-service experience to the customers, all while increasing the case deflection rate.
Before we jump into the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of case deflection, let’s understand the ‘what’ of it!
What is Case Deflection?
When your customers run into a problem and find solutions independently without asking for assistance from the support team, it is called case deflection. A potential problem initially intended to go to your support team but resolved independently. That’s why a majority of organizations invest in an efficient self-service strategy.
For more clarity, here’s an example –
Let’s say your customer is having trouble uploading files to your system. So, they decided to reach out to your customer support. While raising a ticket, they came across a discussion thread. The discussion thread discusses various ways to overcome similar issues. And, that’s how your customer that was initially going to report an issue resolved the issue before it even reached your support staff.
Without case deflection, the customer must submit the request and wait for the assistant’s response. And, your customer agents will receive a higher volume of queries than needed.
3 Ways Case Deflection Boosts Your Overall Business Processes
More than 70%[i] of customers prefer self-service.
And, as a business, delighting your customers should be your priority.
But, self-service is more than just a ‘preference’ of your customers. It leads to case deflection. And, there are numerous business benefits of case deflection, including –
1. Quick Case Resolution: With the ability to find the right resources, customers no longer have to wait for support agents’ responses. They can get started with troubleshooting and experience quicker case resolution.
2. Reduced Case Volume: As we’ve mentioned, a majority of customers prefer self-service. However, they don’t always find the right resource to resolve their queries on their own. Equipping them with relevant help resources will significantly reduce the number of cases created. As a result, your support reps can focus on delivering quality support.
3. Higher Customer Satisfaction Rate: Leverage effortless self-service to delight your customers. And, when your customers experience rapid case resolution, it results in increased CSAT (Customer Satisfaction) scores.
How to Measure Case Deflection?
At first, case deflection may seem like an intangible value to measure since users don’t explain it directly. However, it plays a crucial role in elevating your overall CX. Thus, the better you understand it, the better you’ll be able to improve it.
Let’s take a look at some ways to measure the case deflection rate –
Scenario 1: Number of Clicks on Knowledge Resources
When your customers encounter a problem, they will probably look for a guide or manual in your knowledge base. If they search for a particular topic, click on the relevant topics, and leave from there without escalating the case, chances are they’ve found a suitable solution. So, it is a fitting example of case deflection.
To measure the case deflection rate achieved through the knowledge base, use this formula-
Let’s assume that the number of clicks was 100 and search sessions were 200, then the overall impact would be 100/200×100 = 50%.
Scenario 2: Number of Clicks on Case Escalation
Let’s say a user doesn’t search for the topic and directly goes for logging a case. However, while creating the case, they see a list of relevant cases along with their solutions in the form of discussion threads, tutorials, articles, etc. So, instead of escalating their case, they click on relevant cases and proceed with self-service. This is another great example of case deflection.
The same formula as above can be used to measure this type of case escalation-
Let’s assume the same values as above. The number of clicks was 100 and search sessions were 200, then the overall impact would be 100/200×100 = 50%.
Community-CRM Integration: A Surefire Way to Improve Case Deflection
Now that we know what case deflection is and how to measure it, it’s time to understand how to improve it. One turnkey solution is to create a rich knowledge base library. But, if you have a rich knowledge base in your CRM and your customers are looking for answers in your community. Then it will defy the entire purpose of having a knowledge base.
Give access to the most relevant knowledge resources to your customers. Fortunately, solutions like KaseSync make it possible by creating a seamless community and CRM integration.
The main question is – How KaseSync makes it all possible? By equipping your community and CRM with the following features –
- Create Context-Specific Resources: There can be instances when more than one customer faces the same problem. Spot those issues as they may be more common than you realize. And, turn your one-on-one conversations into useful resources like FAQs or articles.
- Sync Knowledge base on all Platforms: KaseSync comes with a set of innovative features like bi-directional knowledge sync. It means it syncs your knowledge resources like discussion threads, similar cases, FAQs, articles, etc., across your platforms. So regardless of what platform your customers are using, they can find all your help resources at their disposal.
- Make Relevant Resources Easily Accessible: Not being able to find the right resource is the biggest barrier to efficient self-service. And, KaseSync overcomes this barrier with features like federated search. It shows customers a list of relevant cases or other resources when they try to create a case. This way, they can find a suitable resolution and the case gets deflected.
Conclusion
Lacking a streamlined knowledge base can be a bigger barrier to your overall customer experience than you realize. To bridge this barrier, a streamlined business infrastructure is vital. And, KaseSync makes it possible by integrating your community and CRM platforms. With KaseSync in place, boost the self-service and case deflection rate in your community. And, equip your customers with instant, hassle-free case resolution, leading to a boost in community engagement and customer satisfaction rate.
References
[i] Rethink Your Customer Service Strategy to Drive Self-Service
