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Some Useful Insights on Knowledge Base by Gordon Tredgold

knowledge base interview

Customers today seek instant gratification and the best way to provide this is through a self-service knowledge base. The Do-It-Yourself approach is gaining wide popularity with customers preferring to solve queries on their own, without reaching out to support staff. They don’t want to wait for their turn to talk, which is time-consuming and frustrating.

This is the key reason why businesses are implementing an online knowledge base that provides relevant information and empowers customers to address their concerns on their own.

This new trend is bringing about a sea change in the way businesses approach customer service.

In order to gain more insights on how knowledge base is changing customer experiences, read our interview with Gordon Tredgold. He is a business and IT transformation expert who is recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of its Top 100 leadership experts and speakers. Gordon is also a contributing author at Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc Magazine, Business Insider, Fortune, Chicago Tribune,& Fox News.

Q1. In this experiential age, does an online knowledge base make businesses stand apart from the competition?

I think this is going to be a key differentiator as we are now pretty much 100% living in a digital world that encompasses everyone right from my 84-year mother-in-law to my 11-year-old grandson. Everyone is using the internet to do research on pretty much everything, and any company that can provide detailed information to their customers is going to have a competitive advantage. If you don’t have the information available online, it’s like your products or services don’t exist. Today, people want to know much more before they make the final purchase.

Q2. Which is the best route to provide instant gratification to customers – A self-help knowledge base, live chat or both?

I think different people have different preferences, and that can depend on where they are in the process. When I am ready to make a purchase, then I want to be able to chat with someone, but earlier in the process, I don’t want to have that pressure of having forced to buy. I want to be able to do the research without having someone looking to close the deal, and I don’t think that I am alone in this. Some people prefer to converse and many others want to do research and learn more.

Q3. Can an online knowledge base help businesses satiate the growing needs of customers for instant gratification?

I think having the knowledge available and accessible will be a huge bonus. I know myself when I am researching something I want the answers instantly, and as I know that they are somewhere on the internet, and it can be frustrating not to find them.

Q4. Can an online knowledge base help firms achieve better customer experience by providing accurate answers with much faster response time?

This depends on the quality and usefulness of the information offered. Having any old knowledge base available will not guarantee a good experience. For me, the experience is all about the outcome for the customer and whether they were achieved or not. Finding information isn’t the outcome, the real outcome is finding the right answers or the right information. So the answer to this question is it all depends on the quality and searchability of the content.

Q5. To find answers to questions, people usually Google them. Similarly, do customers prefer to search a company’s knowledge base to resolve queries?

Personally, I like a mix of information if I am reviewing a product or service, and I especially want some unbiased reviews, I would prefer to browse through the product’s website.
However, if I am looking for information on how to use, fix, or understand a product then I am more than happy to hear it directly from the horse’s mouth as I think this probably represents the true picture of the products and how to use.

And this is it. From what we could understand, I firmly believe that a knowledge base works wonders when it comes to the research part and getting information without requiring help. So if you are wondering on how to serve your customers better and deliver them an exceptional experience, I guess, now you know how..!

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About the author

Bryan Wills is a seasoned expert in knowledge management with over a decade of experience in the field. His expertise extends across various domains, including Security & Compliance, User Management, Knowledge Management, Software Documentation, and Customer Support. His writings not only reflect his deep understanding of these subjects but also offer practical solutions and strategies to help organizations enhance their knowledge management processes. Bryan’s work has been published in GetFeedback, CustomerThink, and Apruve.