Knowledgebase, Live Agent, Chatter, OH MY!!
Salesforce Knowledge
There’s only one thing better than great customer service: self service! If visiting a helpdesk or calling a service center is not your cup of tea, then Salesforce Knowledge is the right tool for you. Salesforce Knowledge will allow internal and external Kent State constituents to easily access a vast array of institutional information with just a click of a button on our website. For those who do need a personal touch, service agents will have access to the same information ensuring consistent experience across all communication channels. The knowledgebase is made up of knowledge articles which are documents of information. Articles can include information on how to do something like how to pay your tuition bill and frequently asked questions such as when a semester ends. Although instant access to relevant institutional information 24/7 to anyone with a computer or mobile device is a tremendous value, the real magic is in the tool’s collaboration capability. Once knowledgebase articles are published, they can be shared with interested parties via multiple channels such email, websites, and customer communities. Community partners can then offer feedback on articles making them even more timely, relevant, and useful.
Live Agent
Imagine if students, faculty, and staff could click a button on the Kent State website to initiate a chat with a live representative. Think how service for these constituents could improve with this lightning fast communication channel. Well, Salesforce’s Live Agent can do just that. Waiting in lines and endless phone transfers will be a thing of the past with Live Agent as users can reach out with questions from the comfort of their residence and expect much shorter response times. With reduced customer frustration over waiting for answers, our constituents can get back to doing what they do best: learn, work, and play!
Chatter
One of the critical components of any successful CRM product is its ability to facilitate communication and collaboration. Salesforce shines in this area with a tool called Chatter. Think of it as a “professional” Facebook. Chatter is an application that connects, engages, and motivates users to work efficiently across the institution regardless of role. Chatter’s real value is in its capacity to bring people together from all corners of Kent State University. In Chatter, everyone has a profile page with a photo and work-related personal information. This allows users to get to know each other and have a better understanding of other’s roles on teams and projects. One of the more useful tools is following. As departments and functional teams create groups, users are able to follow these groups as well as specific projects helping with collaboration across functional borders. Groups within Chatter provide real-time updates and access to project or case information to all users without the need for email blasts and memos. In addition to following people and groups, Chatter allows you to follow records, such as documents or tasks. Notifications can then be set to alert you when a record has been changed. Notifications can be customized and configured to meet each user’s needs for posts, groups, and records. With an advanced search engine, Chatter lets users find files, people, groups, teams, and work records. Over time, Chatter becomes a repository of all the valuable information needed to operate successfully as an institution. Although Chatter promotes productivity and efficiency, it is definitely not all work and no play. Chatter is also a lot of fun! It gets people talking and makes users feel connected, empowered, and recognized.