Dixons Retail’s KNOWHOW delivers the knowledge this Christmas with Eptica

New multichannel knowledge base system helps Dixons’ KNOWHOW provide customer service boost during peak sales period

Cambridge, 6 December 2011: This Christmas, Dixons Retail, one of Europe’s largest specialist electrical and computing retailers, is underpinning its strategy to enhance its services-led business with the deployment of Eptica’s intelligent, multi channel knowledgebase software across its website and contact centre channels. This means the 300,000 monthly visitors to Dixons Retail’s KNOWHOW service website can now benefit from fast access to the information and answers they need to get the most out of their electrical and computing products. This is providing increased user satisfaction for millions of UK customers.

The KNOWHOW online customer service knowledgebase, powered by Eptica, is also centralised and shared with KNOWHOW’s 1,300 contact centre agents; enabling them to provide comprehensive, consistent front line service through the telephone and email channels across all Dixons Retail’s UK brands (Currys, PC World and Dixons.co.uk). It will play a key role is supporting customers over the Christmas period when Dixons Retail expects to receive over 3 million calls, including nearly 1,000 technical support calls on Christmas Day alone.

The KNOWHOW service is a key element of Dixons Retail’s customer-focused Renewal and Transformation plan, providing the UK’s most comprehensive help, support and service infrastructure for electrical and computing products. It is a central part of the company’s strategy to move to a service-led business model that differentiates its brands from the competition.

Since the KNOWHOW website launched, unique visitors have grown by 17% with average time spent on the site increasing by some 350%, demonstrating that customers are spending more time accessing and reading knowledgebase articles.

Overall, the launch of KNOWHOW has led to increased First Call Resolution for inbound queries, more efficient operations and greater customer satisfaction with metrics such as advocacy (likelihood to recommend) rising steadily by 28 percentage points over the last 12 months to 71%.

“As electrical products become more complex and technologies converge, our customers told us they wanted joined-up services delivered in a non-technical way,” said Keith Andrews, programme manager home services, KNOWHOW. “Knowledge needs to be at the heart of KNOWHOW and Eptica’s technology provides the infrastructure to collect, share and update the vital information our customers want across all of our channels. KNOWHOW and Eptica are fundamental parts of our service-led strategy for this Christmas and beyond.”

The KNOWHOW Knowledge Bank system uses Eptica’s software to create a dynamic, self-learning knowledgebase. Powerful meaning-based search technology enables customers and agents to simply type a question in plain English to receive a fast, non-technical, answer to their query. Alternatively they can browse the 1,200 articles in the knowledgebase which provide easy to follow explanations across topics that range from setting up a wireless network, through defrosting your fridge, to connecting your smart TV to the internet.

“Retail is one of the most competitive markets in the UK, particularly at Christmas,” said PaulBarnes, Managing Director, Eptica UK. “When it comes to ever more complex electrical products, providing customers with the highest levels of service is a key differentiator. The overwhelming customer adoption of KNOWHOW demonstrates how delivering fast, accurate answers is a central part of today’s successful retail experience.”

Future plans for the KNOWHOW KnowledgeBank include adding multimedia answers to the system, as well as increasing the number of overall articles in response to customer demand and the introduction of new technologies.