COMMUNITIES

FEATURINGTHE EVOLUTION OFDOCUMENTATION ANDCUSTOMERSUPPORT

AT WHATPOINTDOES D O C
U M E N T A T I O N BECOME SUPPORT?

ANSWER :WHEN IT’S PART OF
A OF SERVICES THAT PROVIDE USER ASSISTANCE FOR APRODUCT OR SERVICE

FUTUREFirst let’s trace the history

This is

DID You know: some scholars
believe cave paintings documented animal migration patterns and hunting successes

It solved the problem of
recording early history

ANDTHEN

Did you know: Egyptian scribes
were highon the social ladder alongside priests. WRITTEN CONTENT

It solved the problem of
documentingreligion and agriculture but was only used by a few educated people WRITTEN CONTENT

ON PARCHMENT DID you KNOW:
Parchment allowed theproduction of manuscripts which eventually led to universities

ON PARCHMENTWhich solved the problem
of distributing documentation and making it possible to educate people on more complex subjects

THEN A MAJOR

GUTENBERG’S PRESS Did you know:
The Press led to a flood of printedmaterial in just a few short decades

GUTENBERG’S PRESS Which solved the
problem ofdocumenting and distributing scientific discoveries through scholarly journals

INMODERN TIMES

THE FIRST COOKBOOK FRENCH CUISINEThus
began the first modern day trend to document repeatable processes for tradesmen

THE FIRST COOKBOOK FRENCH CUISINE
Which solved the problemof training many people on how to make things

LATER THATCENTURY

USER MANUALS BECAME POPULAR1950’s the
documentation of technology products trained people on how to use them

USER MANUALS BECAME POPULAR1950’s Which
solved the problem of quickly training people on how to use complicated tools

SOONTHE DIGITAL

MEDIADocumentation page counts increased and
rich media was needed to teach people even more complicated tools

MEDIA Which solved the problem
of shipping largedocuments at a low cost and added the ability to use rich media

ANDRECENTLY...

Static htmldocumentation thatserves as customer
support

Which solved the problemof updating
documentationand support materialswithout the need toreship updated media

SO WHAT ISN EEDED FO
RTODAY’S

RESEARCH STUDY :TOP CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
ABOUT ONLINE SUPPORT “I go to Google “If I find the info it’s “There’s not enough instead” not accurate or is out content here to help of date” me”

NOT WORKING

It’s Time for a new
approach isn’t it?

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM

TODAY’S WEB SUPPORTSITES ARE

AS ARE PDF SITES

SO THERE’S So people leave
your Content is not rated Which leads to asite in search of the and there is no scarcity of content or answer elsewhere feedback mechanism to irrelevant content alert you to incomplete or bad content

IT’S LIKE HEARING THE SAME
PRE-RECORDED MESSAGE OVER AND OVER AGAIN

THAT DOESN’TWORK INTODAY’SENVIRONMENT

WHICH MEANSCustomers call support Customers
get upset Less relevant content agents instead of and leave your site and means lost revenuesolving the problem on potentially arrive on opportunities your support site your competitor’s site

WHYDOES IT HAVE TO BE

WHYDOES IT HAVE TO BE

ANDUN FRIEN LY

IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE
BECAUSE…

SUPPORT HAS O L VEE
V D WIT H T H E TIMES

AND HASADAPTEDTO MAR K ET

TOSUPPORT

TODAYSO

IN ORDER TOSATISFY TODAY’S YOU
NEEDSUPPORT SITES...

THAT MEETCHALLENGES

WHILECOSTS ANDREVENUE

LIKE SITES FROM

OR MORESUCCINTLY...

THE WEB

Search thatlearns how to be
better over time

Quick resolutions to customer issues

For increased adoption and contentcontributions

Rich media enables quicker learning

CURATION A ALYTICSAGING

How old is our content
across the site? AGINGAllow content to be rated by users

PDF’S ORCOMMUNITY

EASYCHOICEISN’T IT

THEFUTURE

THEFU URE T

T I ‘SPERSONAL

& MOBILE Support on the
run and at your fingertips

Gestural interfaces to interact with
objects for support& INSTANT

ANDTEACHESBASED ON YOUR

WHILECREATINGSUPPORT CURRICULUMS THE

THIS ISGAME

AFTER ALL

SHOULD BE FRIENDLY

THAN YOU K MIKE PUTERBAUGH
HAL WENDEL JESSE RUBIN

K MAR FIDELMAN MINDTOUCH.COM/BLOG @markfidelmanSlideshare.net/fidelman