What is Knowledge Centered Service and How Does it Matter?

Customer-centered service prioritizes understanding customer needs to deliver personalized and satisfying experiences. This approach builds trust, loyalty and stronger relationships.

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Have you ever experienced frustration or confusion when trying to get help from customer support? Imagine a scenario where your issue gets resolved quickly, leaving you feeling satisfied as a customer.

What makes the difference? It is because of the type of support provided – specifically, knowledge-centered service (KCS).

Organizations that adopt KCS experience a 50-60% improvement in time to resolution, allowing support teams to handle customer inquiries more efficiently.

Investing in the right knowledge centered support system can make a significant difference in how customers perceive your brand. Let us explore the benefits of knowledge-centered support and how it can positively impact your business.

Table of Content

1 What is a Knowledge-centered service (KCS)?
2 Benefits of Knowledge Centered Service
3 How does a Knowledge centered service (KCS) work?
4 Strategies to Implement Effective Knowledge Centered Service?
5 What are the Knowledge-Centered Core Support Principles?
6 Best Practices of Knowledge Centered Service
7 Challenges of Knowledge Centered Service (KCS)
8 Empower Support Agents with Knowledge-Centered Support
9 FAQs on Knowledge-Centered Support

What is a Knowledge-centered service (KCS)?

Knowledge-centered support (KCS) is defined as a methodology used by organizations to share knowledge within their teams in order to improve customer service efficiency. KCS focuses on creating a knowledge base that can be accessed and utilized by all employees to provide consistent customer information.

Knowledge-centered support fundamentals focus on providing agents with the tools or information they need to quickly and accurately resolve customer issues. Moreover, KCS emphasizes collaborative content creation, where every team member contributes to and benefits from the collective knowledge repository.

Key principles:

Knowledge is not just power, but it is also a key asset that should be shared and used to benefit the organization as a whole.
Knowledge should be captured as it is created in the course of providing customer service, rather than waiting for it to be formalized and documented.
Knowledge should be easily accessible and searchable, so that employees can quickly find the information they need to assist customers.

Benefits of Knowledge Centered Service

Implementing KCS methodology focuses on integrating knowledge creation into the workflow of customer service reps, allowing them to capture, reuse and improve knowledge as they work on customer inquiries.

Key benefits:

Reduce support cost: KCS helps companies to create a knowledge base of commonly asked questions. It reduces the need for repetitive answers and allows employees to spend less time on support calls saving support costs.
Increase employee efficiency: Employees can access the centralized repository of knowledge, allowing them to quickly find the information. It reduces the time spent searching for answers and allows employees to focus on solving customer issues more efficiently.
Better knowledge management: KCS encourages knowledge base creation that is updated and improved by frontline staff. It ensures that the knowledge is up-to-date and relevant, making it easier for employees to find the information they need to assist customers.

How does a Knowledge centered service (KCS) work?

Knowledge centered support (KCS) empowers organizations to create a knowledge base that is constantly evolving and improving with the input of all employees. So, how does KCS work?

1. Capture Knowledge

The first step in KCS is to capture knowledge as it is created and used. It is done through various means such as documenting solutions to common problems, creating knowledge articles based on customer interactions or logging common issues and resolutions in a centralized database.

2. Structure Knowledge

Once knowledge is captured, it needs to be structured in a way that is easily accessible and searchable for all employees. It involves organizing knowledge articles by topic, category, or keyword tagging to ensure that information can be found quickly when needed.

3. Reuse Knowledge

When an employee finds a solution to a common problem, they should document it in a knowledge article so that others can benefit from it in the future. By reusing knowledge, organizations can reduce the amount of time spent resolving the same issues over and over again.

4. Improve Knowledge

KCS encourages a continuous improvement mindset when it comes to knowledge management. It means that employees are encouraged to update and refine knowledge articles as new information becomes available or as processes change. By constantly improving knowledge, organizations can ensure that their knowledge base remains up-to-date and relevant.

Strategies to Implement Effective Knowledge Centered Service?

Knowledge-centered support is an essential component of any successful customer service strategy. By ensuring that your support team has access to the right information/tools, you can provide timely client assistance.

Here are some strategies for effective knowledge-centered support:

1. Create a Knowledge Base

A knowledge base is a central repository of information that can be accessed by your support team to help answer common customer queries. It can include FAQs, troubleshooting guides, product manuals and more.

Note: Ensure your knowledge base is regularly updated and organized in a way that makes it easy to find information quickly.

Pro tips:

Organize information logically: When creating a knowledge base, ensure that information is organized in a clear and logical manner.
Encourage user contributions: Allow customers and support agents to contribute to the knowledge base by sharing their own insights.

2. Implement Self-Service Options

Empower your customers to find answers to their own questions by offering self-service options such as online help guides, chatbots and forums. It reduces the burden on your support team and allows customers to get the assistance they need 24/7.

Pro tips:

Provide clear navigation: Ensure self-service options are easy to find and navigate. Use clear labels and categories to help users quickly locate the information they need.
Use interactive tools: Consider implementing interactive tools such as decision trees or troubleshooting guides to help users diagnose and solve their own issues.
Offer multiple contact channels: A knowledge base provides self-service options such as FAQs, chatbots and online forums.

3. Provide Training for Your Support Team

Ensure that your support team is properly trained on how to use the knowledge base effectively. They should be able to quickly share relevant customer information, saving time and improving the overall customer experience.

Pro tips:

Invest in ongoing training: Provide your support team with regular training sessions to keep them up to date on new products, services and support techniques.
Provide tools for success: Equip your support team with the tools and resources they need to effectively assist customers.

4. Use Analytics to Identify Trends

Utilize analytics tools to track customer inquiries, identify trends and uncover opportunities for improvement. By analyzing data on customer interactions, you can gain insights into common issues, customer preferences and areas where additional training or resources may be needed.

Pro tips:

Track customer inquiries: Utilize analytics tools to track the types of inquiries your team receives most frequently.
Monitor response times: Analyzing response times for customer inquiries can help you identify bottlenecks in your support process and improve overall efficiency.

5. Continuously Update and Improve Knowledge Base

Regularly update your knowledge base to ensure that it remains relevant and accurate. Monitor customer feedback and common issues to identify areas where additional information or resources are needed.

Pro tips:

Encourage employee feedback: Regularly solicit feedback from your support team on the knowledge base content.
Schedule regular reviews: Set aside time on a regular basis to review and update your knowledge base content. Information can quickly become outdated in the fast-paced world of customer support, so it’s important to stay on top of changes and make updates as needed.

What are the Knowledge-Centered Core Support Principles?

Knowledge-centered core support principles guide organizations in creating and managing knowledge to support their customers effectively. These principles are essential for developing a knowledge-centered culture within an organization and optimizing the efficiency of support services.

1. Maintain Knowledge

The first principle of KCS is to create and maintain knowledge. This involves capturing, organizing information within an organization so that it can be easily accessed and used by employees or customers.

2. Evolve Content Based on Demand

The second principle of KCS is to evolve content based on demand. This means that organizations should analyze customer inquiries or feedback to identify gaps in knowledge and areas where information can be improved or expanded.

3. Refine Articles Based on Usage

The third principle of KCS is to refine articles based on usage. By tracking how knowledge articles are being used and identifying patterns in customer behavior, organizations can identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness of their support materials.

4. Reward Learning, Contribution and Use

The fourth principle of KCS is to reward learning, contribution and use. Organizations should incentivize employees to contribute to the knowledge base, share their expertise and actively use the available resources to support customers.

5. Standardize the Publishing Process

The fifth principle of KCS is to standardize the publishing process. By establishing clear guidelines and standards for creating knowledge articles, organizations can ensure consistent support. Standardizing the publishing process also helps to streamline knowledge management workflows and improve the efficiency of knowledge sharing within an organization.

Best Practices of Knowledge Centered Service

Harnessing the collective knowledge of an organization, KCS aims to provide efficient and effective solutions to customer issues.

Make knowledge accessible: Ensure that agents can easily access the knowledge base while responding to customer inquiries. Integrate the knowledge base with your help desk or customer support platform for seamless access.
Reward knowledge sharing: Recognize and reward agents who contribute valuable knowledge articles to the repository. Encourage a culture of knowledge sharing within the organization.
Collaborate across teams: Foster collaboration between different departments to share insights and expertise. Encourage cross-functional teams to contribute to the knowledge base and improve support for customers.
Document best practices: Capture best practices for handling common customer issues and sharing this knowledge with agents. Use these best practices to improve customer service and support.

Challenges of Knowledge Centered Service (KCS)

While KCS can bring numerous benefits, there are also challenges that organizations may face when implementing this approach.

1. Resistance to Change

One of the biggest challenges of implementing KCS is resistance to change from employees. Many organizations have established practices in place, and introducing a new methodology like KCS may face resistance from staff who are comfortable with the old ways of doing things. It is important for organizations to communicate the benefits of KCS and provide training and support to help employees adapt to the new approach.

2. Quality of Knowledge Base

Creating and maintaining a high-quality knowledge base is crucial for the success of KCS. Organizations may face challenges in ensuring that the knowledge base is accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible to employees as well as customers. It is important to have processes in place to regularly update the knowledge base to ensure that it remains relevant and valuable.

3. Knowledge Transfer

Another challenge of KCS is ensuring that knowledge is effectively transferred between employees. This can be particularly challenging in organizations with a large workforce or multiple locations. Businesses may need to invest in tools or technologies that facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration among employees, as well as develop training programs to help employees build their knowledge and skills.

4. Measurement and Analytics

Measuring the effectiveness of KCS can be a challenge for organizations. It can be difficult to quantify the impact of knowledge management initiatives on key performance indicators such as customer satisfaction, employee productivity and operational efficiency. Businesses can invest in tools and technologies that allow them to track the impact of KCS on business outcomes.

Empower Support Agents with Knowledge-Centered Support

Implementing knowledge-centered support can greatly benefit support agents and improve overall customer satisfaction. By providing agents with a centralized knowledge base, access to relevant information and tools for collaboration, they can resolve customer issues more efficiently.

It leads to faster response times, reduced escalations and increased customer loyalty. Knowledge-centered support promotes continuous learning, empowering agents to enhance their skills and deliver exceptional service. Investing in knowledge-centered support is key to empowering support agents and delivering top-notch customer experiences.

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Tushar Joshi

Tushar Joshi is a passionate content writer at Omni24, where he transforms complex concepts into clear, engaging and actionable content. With a keen eye for detail and a love for technology, Tushar Joshi crafts blog posts, guides and articles that help readers navigate the fast-evolving world of software solutions.

FAQs on Knowledge-Centered Support

Why is a knowledge-centered service important?

Knowledge-centered service is important because it helps organizations effectively manage and distribute knowledge within the company. By capturing and sharing knowledge, employees are better equipped to provide accurate information to customers, leading to improved customer satisfaction.

How will knowledge centered service enhance customer support?

Knowledge-centered service enhances customer support by empowering employees with the knowledge they need to quickly address customer inquiries. With a centralized knowledge base, employees can easily access up-to-date information or solutions, resulting in faster response times and higher quality support.

How can knowledge centered service improve Service Delivery?

Knowledge-centered service improves service delivery by streamlining processes and ensuring consistency in the information provided to customers. By capturing knowledge and making it readily available to employees, organizations can eliminate redundant work to deliver a more seamless customer experience.

What is an example of a knowledge-centered service?

An example of a knowledge-centered service is a customer support portal that contains a comprehensive knowledge base of articles, FAQs, troubleshooting guides and best practices. This centralized repository of knowledge enables customers to find answers to their questions quickly and independently, reducing the need for direct assistance from support staff.