How techcomm pros can lower the barriers to entry in a support system and improve the overall UX of a support channel

After serving me well for more than five years, today my LG microwave wouldn’t start. It’s unimaginable to spend a day at home with a toddler and a non-working microwave! I went through another unimaginable experience today–how some companies raise the barrier for customers to join their official support system. For example, when one heads over to LG’s support system at http://www.lg.com/in/support/repair-service/schedule-repair, they ask you to log in or register. One has to fill in a long form and specifically provide the serial number and date of purchase of the appliance. While this is mandatory information to keep out non-customers and to ascertain warranty, it is by no means a mandatory information for registering on the site!

LG support registration options

 

A better customer experience should be to get as many customers into the fold of formal support system, as easily as possible. Once folks are in with their identity, you have more information and opportunities to customize the experience and gain the trust of this person forever. What a great opportunity to make repeat customers! Support after all is not a cost center, but a profit center (see http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2014/04/thinking-lifetime-dont-break-the-chain.html).

You may wonder, what this has to do with techcomm, writing, content creation, and documentation. Anything and everything a customer sees on the Support page or login is content! We writers, editors, and designers can create (content) experiences that are personalized for the person logged in. Of course, it needs a lot of smooth engagements within the organization. It is easier said than done. That’s why it is worth doing!

As a content creator, customer advocate, and an end-user, here’s a quick list of suggestions from me (more later):

• Make us navigate only a tad bit. Target for a maximum depth of 1-2 clicks from your home page. Chances are we are in a rush or frustrated or both. Techcomm pros can use web analytics to find browsing paths and optimize those.
• Use whitespaces and icons on the support pages a lot. You are not selling anything to us right now (except a good experience). Techcomm pros can QA the design, the content, and the overall UX.
• Make your icons generic and also usable for color blind people. Techcomm pros can QA/audit these.
• Make yourself accessible on all social networks. Go where your customers are. I am logged into X network all day long and that is the lowest barrier for us to enter in to a conversation with you. Techcomm pros can be available themselves on the social networks or facilitate the usage of social media.
• Make login creation an easy process. You can also identify us by our customer IDs, our mobile numbers, or our product serial numbers. Techcomm pros can consult with the engineering/IT teams on the requirements.
• Allow social media integration to authenticate on your support systems. Do respect the boundaries though! If a customer is looking for help or resolution and you push advertisements to their network in this scenario, be ready to hear profanities. Of the kind, I cannot describe on this blog. YES, you deserve nothing less for such a shameless plug. Techcomm pros can be the eyes and ears of an organization and alert about unwanted/intrusive scenarios.
• What’s stopping you from making a login on my behalf when you get to know my mail ID? Assign an auto-generated password and mail me the details. Appear generous and don’t insert any other information in this email. Techcomm pros can QA the UX and consult on the customer needs.
• Promptly publish all methods to contact you, without making us hunt for them. We may want to call you one day but want to ping on a social network another day. See the above point about being present where your customers are present. Techcomm pros can update the content appropriately and can champion social media usage.
• Find a way to have smart front desk staff members–call centers, receptionists, personal delivery guys, waiters, salesmen, and social media people). We customers judge you all the time. Even after you’ve made the sale. Techcomm pros can help with trainings, case studies, internal QA and audits, and facilitation.