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Simply put, the shift-left approach focuses on eliminating the middle stair of processes as far as possible to wind up tasks with minimum intervention in a short frame of time. This reduces steps thus shifting the curve from a lean diagonal to a steep one.
Table of contents
Why is shift-left approach a necessity?
A shift-left approach aims at bringing the people in search of knowledge closer to the knowledge base instead of bridging them with agents of knowledge. This helps in enhancing the use of self-service platforms.
Even today, many organizations deploy an agent-controlled chat interface owing to the difficulty in deploying an automated bot. This is either due to complicated knowledge that is being misinterpreted by the bots or a wrong choice of platform.
Knowmax however, creates a fully automated bot that shall deviate your ticket to experts only when the issue remains unsolved through digital self-service assistance.
What is shift-left approach?
With shift-left approach in place, a knowledge base is created with highly filtered and verified-only content to prevent any kind of repetition, over-lapping, duplicity, or faulty admission of facts. Customers are satisfied with quick and relevant shows of answers to their queries without multiple tickets or repetition of problems on loop to different agents.
Impact of shift-left approach on knowledge management
A properly sieved pool of data, information, facts, and articles becomes accepted after redrafting and proofreading by editors. All aspects related to product features and services must be mentioned in layman language. Technical jargons and abbreviations are for internal team discussions and must not intimidate your customers. For them, the product must be a device and not a complex machine operating on mechanical and chemical processes with nano, micro, and macro technology.
Steps to deploy shift left approach at helpdesks
1. Ticket deviations make an essential part of an agent’s work journey. When petty and repetitive queries deviate, more attention can be put to tasks that are crucial and stand at the top priority.
2. When a query is registered as a ticket, it is raised on an agent’s dashboard. The agent then finds a solution to the same and connects with the customer through the details provided.
3. The solution is disseminated over a platform of choice for customers keeping their geographical and demographical details in mind. Multi-language portals created by Knowmax help the customers to access some content in their native tongue.
4. A self-service platform that is so easy to use, access, and navigate keeps your visitors engaged thus enhancing your digital presence and visibility. It encourages others to initiate community conversations as well.
5. A collaborative result for all these steps taken together, result in a successful shift left approach by the elimination of intermediate steps.
How does a shift left approach benefit contact centers?
1. Financial savings
While steps are shifting left, the role of SVCs and L2, L3 over a single call are eliminated. This helps to shift manpower from petty issues to complicated technical issues. Money aspects thus rejoice with reduced wastage and increased rates of returns.
2. Better FCR
When customers become the point of the complaint and the point of resolution all at once, they assume the roles of support contact agents thus taking up their tickets on a one-on-one basis.
3. Optimized knowledge base
With shift-left approach in place, the creators too can relax as the knowledge they have to create is the same for agents and customers. Duplication of work is prevented by removing any additional burden created on the product, CX, and content team.
4. Improved navigation
Even today, with the most advanced communication channels like calls, text, emails, and social media, organizations find their customers in dilemma. Either listed channels prove no good or paradox of plenty takes over them. Modules like decision trees, FAQs, and AI chatbots are not just solution providers but also help in successful navigation.
For example, while a normal website/support portal shall require a customer to enter their query in the search bar, keyword recognition is used to narrow down all knowledge base content. This might or might not prompt the needed result.
However, using decision trees, FAQs, and chatbots at the service desk, customer can merely answer or choose from a series of options to questions like “Which device are you using?”, “What is the model of your device?”, “From the following, choose a problem statement.”, or, “Please type your query for the bot to help you proceed.”
Conclusion
With a successful shift-left approach in place, organizations can improve the number of tickets dealt with better service quality. Agents and users are both relieved on the solution end while creators and experts use smart intent recognition to avoid duplicitous content from being published.
Quicker operations and better savings are the two core benefits derived from the shift-left approach at service centers establishing its pervasive importance.
