Mention content strategy, and the first thing people often think of is web content. Yet, there are other parts of a business that have content at its core—the most important of which is the customer service center. Customer service centers are our direct line to customers. They answer calls, reply to emails, and often coordinate printed material—and we should be incorporating them more into our strategy. Developing a content strategy that includes your customer service center improves the customer experience, provides opportunities to monitor and act on customer feedback, and helps you measure if your content is (or isn’t) working. I presented this talk at Confab Central in Minneapolis, May 2015. See a transcript at www.webcontentstrategy.com.au and video at http://livestream.com/confab/central

1. Beyond the web:
Customer service center content strategy
Confab Central 2015

2. help

4. We hear a lot
about creating
fans.

5. “51 per cent of U.S. consumers
switched service providers in
the past year due to poor
customer service experiences.”
Source: Accenture 2013 Global Consumer Pulse Survey

6. Top customer content frustrations
Self-help sites and systems that
can’t answer my questions
Not being able to understand the
information provided to me
Too much paperwork or online
forms
Source: Accenture 2013 Global Consumer Pulse Survey | Icons by Norbert Kucsera & SuperAtic LABS for the Noun Project CC3.0

7. There has
been too
much focus
on the funnel.

9. Why we should pay more notice
Contact with the customer
Better for the bottom line
Everything is measured
Icons by Norbert Kucsera for the Noun Project CC3.0

10. Content plays a
critical role in
customer
service centers.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/plantronicsgermany CC2.0

11. Types of content
• Product guides
• Social media
• Forms
• Web content
• Intranet content
• Knowledge bases
• Instant chat
• Email and letters
• Scripts
• Fact sheets
• CRMs
• FAQs

12. But, they suffer
from silo
syndrome

13. Web content ≠
customer service
content.

15. But on the
website it
says “…” “??”

16. We must improve
the experience
for the customer
and
the operator.

17. Create
content with
empathy.

18. Having completed our review of your
claim, we have avoided the cover due
to the Late <insert insured persons
name>’s breach of their duty of
disclosure in their application for the
<name of product> Policy. As a result of
this decision, no benefits are payable.

19. Having completed our review of your
claim, we have avoided the cover due
to the Late <insert insured persons
name>’s breach of their duty of
disclosure in their application for the
<name of product> Policy. As a result of
this decision, no benefits are payable.

20. Create content with empathy
Use the appropriate tone
Respect privacy& personal info
Use clear, familiar language
Icon by Stepan Prokop for the Noun Project CC3.0

21. Optimise
for the operator.

22. Optimise for the operator
Improve internal search
Tag content properly
Use logical file names & URLs
Icon by Arthur Shlain for the Noun Project CC3.0

23. CMP_S10.pdf
CMP_S11.pdf
CMP_S12.pdf
CMP_S13.pdf
CMP_S2.pdf
CMP_S3.pdf
CMP_S4.pdf
CMP_S4a.pdf
?

24. Design
better forms.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teegardinCC2.0

25. Design better forms
Only ask for what you need
Make instructions clear
Group questions logically
Focus on good flow
Icon by Scott Baker for the Noun Project CC3.0

28. Complete this field if you were not the driver
Do not complete this field if you were the
driver
Photocopied forms are not permitted
No photocopies are permitted

29. Think
format and
structure.

30. Think format and structure
Know how content will be used
Include headings & subheadings
Design for scanning
Icon by hatayas for the Noun Project CC3.0

32. Plan
the right
workflow.

33. Plan the right workflow
Include content in workflows
Capture feedback & updates
Create a maintenance plan
Icon by Candice McCollough for the Noun Project CC3.0

34. Case study
Legal Aid
Queensland.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alancleaver CC2.0

35. Legal Aid Queensland call centre
Client service officers
Use legal info page as reference
Calls a month
16
60%
12k

36. Top legal information pages (out of 180)
1. Criminal convictions
2. Driving and licence offences
3. Having sex
4. Do I have to talk to the police?
5. Young driver laws
6. Drink driving offences
7. Collection and enforcement of child support
8. Parenting orders
9. Car accidents
10. Leaving home

38. What we had to consider
• Legal terms vs. client terms
• Pages would be read out loud
• Vulnerable clients should seek
legal advice

39. Our approach
• Call centre visit
• Interviews, analytics
• Inventory & qualitative audit
• New digital style guide

44. Case study
Sunsuper.

45. Sunsuper customer contact centre
Call centre staff
Emails a week
Calls a week
86
450
10k

46. Sunsuper direct communication
Member statements per year
Posted letters
Email marketing (EDMs) per year
1.1m
2m
2.1m

47. Sunsuper templates
Templates
Customer service email templates
500
75

48. What we had to consider
• Superannuation is complex &
heavily regulated
• People care about different things
at different life stages
• We wanted to encourage people
to use Member Online

49. Our approach
• Existing template review against
web content
• New template that structured
emails consistently
• Tone of voice guidelines and
standard calls to action

54. In summary
• Create content with empathy
• Optimise for the operator
• Design better forms
• Think format and structure
• Plan the right workflow

55. CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Say hi!
Sally Bagshaw
sally@snappysentences.com
@snappysentences