Finding a natural career progression in customer support can be challenging, especially if you prefer roles that focus on content creation and strategy over people management. Transitioning from a customer support agent to a knowledge manager or content strategist is a viable and rewarding path that aligns well with the evolving needs of businesses in the AI-driven future.
Speaking from experience!
In 2017, my company began introducing us to Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) and knowledge management. This marked a significant shift in our operations, as we prepared for migration to new systems and selected Salesforce Knowledge as our knowledge base tool. We organized extensive training sessions for our support department, managers, and middle managers, emphasizing the shift from traditional operations to the KCS methodology.
I was captivated by KCS and began immersing myself in learning about it. I watched a series of YouTube videos that delved into KCS in detail. These videos, though somewhat outdated, remain valuable resources and are worth checking out. My growing interest led me to become a KCS champion within my support organization, contributing to knowledge base creation, building and understanding knowledge base analytics, and overall methodology implementation.
As a KCS champion, I joined the speed publishers team, responsible for publishing customer-facing knowledge base articles that addressed major contact drivers. We adhered to strict SLAs to ensure these critical articles were available to customers asap, reducing incoming support contacts.
I also participated in translating knowledge base articles. While we used machine learning software, manual corrections were often necessary, especially for specific language combinations like Polish. We trained the machine learning models to understand our industry-specific jargon, which was crucial in the gaming sector.
In addition to these tasks, I worked on community forums and social media to build awareness of our self-service resources. We aimed to deflect contacts by informing customers about our robust knowledge base, blogs, videos, and other self-service tools. This experience provided me with a solid foundation to transition to a different company, where I collaborated with the knowledge management team to create helpful content for customers.
My role involved using marketing techniques, creating YouTube videos, and ensuring our self-service content was easy to digest, search, find, and use. We focused on accessibility, translation, and utilizing various tools and AI to provide the best, most up-to-date knowledge. Working with different departments, I became a fully certified KCS knowledge manager and content strategist for customer support—a rewarding and natural progression from my initial role in customer support.
Knowledge Managers
Role Overview: As a knowledge manager, your primary responsibility is to manage and optimize the company’s knowledge base, ensuring that it is comprehensive, accessible, and useful for both customers and support agents. They develop help articles, collaborate with experts, optimize content for search engines, and enhance the user experience of self-service portals. By promoting self-service and training support agents, they help improve efficiency and customer satisfaction. Key tools include knowledge management systems, content management systems, and analytics platforms.
Importance in the AI Era: With the rise of AI and automation, companies need robust knowledge management systems to feed information into chatbots and AI models. This enhances the efficiency of customer support and enables proactive self-service options for customers.
Key Skills and Knowledge Areas
Basic Concepts of Knowledge Management: Understanding tacit knowledge, taxonomies, and how to structure and promote knowledge effectively is crucial. Familiarize yourself with the principles of Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) and obtain a basic KCS certification to validate your knowledge.
Technical Writing and SEO: Learn how to write clear, concise, and user-friendly content. SEO skills are essential for ensuring that your content is discoverable by search engines and meets the needs of users. Consider taking courses in technical writing and SEO to hone these skills.
User Experience (UX) Design: Understanding basic UX concepts helps you create content that is easy to navigate and use. Learn about user journey mapping and how to design self-service experiences that customers find helpful and engaging.
Analytics and Data-Driven Decisions: Use analytics tools to monitor the performance of your knowledge base. Understanding metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and customer feedback allows you to continuously improve the content and structure of your knowledge base.
Certifications and Training
KCS Certification: Start with a basic KCS certification to understand the fundamentals of knowledge management and how to apply them in a customer support context. This certification is accessible and doesn’t require extensive prerequisites.
Technical Writing Courses: Enroll in technical writing courses to improve your ability to create clear and effective documentation. Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning offer various courses on this topic.
SEO and Digital Marketing: Take courses on SEO and digital marketing to ensure that your content is optimized for search engines. Understanding how search engines work and what users are looking for helps in creating content that is easily discoverable.
Knowledge Management Tools: Familiarize yourself with popular knowledge management tools such as Salesforce, Zendesk, and Confluence. Understanding how these platforms work will help you manage and optimize your company’s knowledge base more effectively.
Practical Steps to Transition
Leverage Your Current Experience: As a customer support agent, you already understand customer needs, pain points, and common issues. Use this knowledge to create relevant and helpful content that addresses these areas.
Start with Small Projects: Begin by taking on small projects related to content creation and knowledge management within your current role. This could involve updating existing knowledge base articles, creating new content, or helping to organize and categorize information.
Collaborate with Other Teams: Work closely with teams such as IT, marketing, and product development to gain a broader understanding of how knowledge management fits into the overall business strategy. This collaboration also helps in creating more comprehensive and aligned content.
Seek Feedback and Continuously Improve: Regularly seek feedback from customers and colleagues on the content you create. Use this feedback to make continuous improvements and demonstrate your ability to adapt and enhance the knowledge base.
The Future of Knowledge Management
AI and Automation: While AI can assist in creating and refining content, human oversight is essential to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the company’s voice. Knowledge managers will play a critical role in maintaining and enhancing the quality of AI-generated content.
Proactive Support: Knowledge managers and content strategists will increasingly focus on proactive support, anticipating customer needs and creating content that addresses potential issues before they arise. This proactive approach reduces the volume of support requests and enhances customer satisfaction.
Continuous Learning: The field of knowledge management is continually evolving. Stay updated with the latest trends, tools, and best practices by participating in professional development opportunities and engaging with industry communities.
Conclusion
Transitioning from a customer support agent to a knowledge manager or content strategist offers a fulfilling career path that leverages your existing skills and meets the growing demand for effective knowledge management in the AI-driven future. By focusing on key skills, obtaining relevant certifications, and taking practical steps to gain experience, you can successfully make this transition and contribute to the success of your organization.
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION
KCS Certification
- The KCS Academy – KCS Certification Program
Knowledge Management Courses
- LinkedIn- Knowledge Management Courses
- https://www.linkedin.com/learning/customer-service-knowledge-management
Knowledge Management Tools
- Salesforce – Knowledge Management
- Zendesk – Knowledge Management