This document summarizes a presentation about using social support strategies for customer service. It discusses how companies can use online forums, blogs and social networks to supplement traditional support channels to improve the customer experience while reducing costs. Specific benefits mentioned include lower support costs through self-service, the ability to scale to handle traffic spikes, and increased sales from active community members. The presentation provides examples of how companies can implement social support strategies in three waves, starting with online forums and knowledge bases, then adding question-and-answer functionality and social networks. It also outlines 10 future trends for social support and how companies like Lithium and Autodesk have integrated social features into their customer relationship management systems and online communities.

1. Making Social the Way
You Do Business
March 13, 2012

2. today’s speakers
Joe Cothrel Brian Kling
Chief Community Officer Community & Social Media
Lithium Program Manager
@cothrel Autodesk
@briankling
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

3. we are lithium
delivering social customer
experiences for the world’s
most iconic brands
founded in 2001
bay area hq, new york, london, zurich, paris
300 customers 30+M registered users
named market leader by forrester, gartner
100% cloud platform
top tier VC funding, including Benchmark &
NEA
confidential

4. what is social support?
Social support is the use of social
channels—forums, blogs, social
networks, and other social media—to
supplement or replace traditional
customer service and support channels.
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

5. challenges in service and support
increase customer
deliver a great experience manage support costs
satisfaction
80% 60% $10 $100
of customers are less likely of customers say that Average cost for phone
to buy again after a poor customer service does not support can range from $10
service experience meet their expectations to over $100 per call
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast Sources: Accenture, Lithium customers, Jupiter Research

6. customers are ready for a solution
fast easy accurate
77% of customers seek search drives 30-60% customers are true
answers on your of traffic to the product experts
website community
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

7. benefits go beyond cost reduction
$1 ¢1
5 5
savings scalability sales
social support communities absorb community members
reduces costs traffic spikes spend 25 to 150%
10-100x more
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

8. WAVE 1 WAVE 2 WAVE 3
forums
 empower customers to help q&a
each other by hosting a space
for organized discussions  create a simple
process for
customers to ask for
help
knowledge base
 create a searchable
facebook
repository of peer content  bring proactive support
to customers on social
networks
twitter
 bring proactive support to
customers microblogging
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

9. social support is direct and peer
empower employees to empower customers
help customers to help each other
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

10. We are Lithium
4 types of social support integration
WEB CRM
SOCIAL PROCESS
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

11. We are Lithium
4 types of social support integration
Single Sign-on Unified customer database
Federated search Unified agent dashboard
Embedded social content Autoescalation
Mobile WEB Unified analytics CRM
Social share Roles & responsibilities
Social connect Tech-enabled workflows
Social network apps Measurement & reporting
Microblogging SOCIAL Curated content PROCESS
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

12. We are Lithium
10 future trends
1. Making social support easier (increased conversion)
2. More direct (vs. peer) social support on and off-site
3. More personalized support
4. More real-time support
5. Deeper and more diverse roles for superfans/superusers
6. Increased informal employee participation
7. Increased focus on customer ideas and insights
8. Greater integration of support and marketing
9. More efficient social support operations
10. Better tools and processes
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

13. Next Generation Social Support
Brian Kling
Program Manager, Community & Social Media
Twitter: @briankling
© 2011 Autodesk
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

14. CRM Integration
Customer Feedback
© 2011 Autodesk
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

15. • 104 Software products
• Design, Visualize, Analyze & Test
• B2B/C
• 13 languages
• 10+M Users
• Subscription = direct support
• 1900 Resellers
• 3M Students
© 2011 Autodesk
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

16.  >15 years old
 Technical Support Focus
 Subscription Model
© 2011 Autodesk
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

17. Knowledge Base
Forum Threads
Forum Posts $
Cases 
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk 17

18. Why a CRM integration?
 Provide enhanced service for paying customers
 Improve customer insight
 No FT staff for online communities
 Minimize effort & streamline processes
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

19. What was the solution?
1. Timely first Reply
2. Verify Resolution
3. Premium can ask for help
4. Staff can flag anything
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

20. 1) Timely first Reply
Reply? No
24hrs
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

21. 2) Verify Resolution
Need
Help? 1
Solution
Marked? No
48hrs 3
2 No
Yes
© 2011 Autodesk

22. 3) Premium – ask for our help
Need an Answer button
Reply? No
24hrs
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

23. 4) Staff can flag anything
Escalate
button
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

24. What does it look like – customer community view
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

25. What does it look like – employee community view
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

26. What does it look like – Salesforce view
In addition to “regular” customer data, we have:
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

27. What were some of the challenges?
 Collaboration
 Product Support, Marketing, IT
 Lithium, Lithium Professional Services, Consultant
 Change Management
 Awareness
 Training
 Weekly Meetings
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

28. Why is customer feedback so important?
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

29. Why is customer feedback so important?
 Relationship – NPS, CLV
 Transaction – CSAT, CES
 Resolution
 Deflection }ROI
 Ad hoc
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

30. Results - NPS
Community
Channel
1:1 Silver
1:1 Premium
2 per. Mov. Avg.
(Community)
Q3 FY11
Q4 FY11
Q1 FY12
Q2 FY12
Q3 FY12
Q4 FY12
© 2011 Autodesk

31. Results from 2011
 53% percent of Subscription customers resolved their issues in
the online community, versus 39% industry average for 2010
(per the Technology Services Industry Association [TSIA]).
 Of the 53% above, 49% would have logged/called in a support
request (26% deflection rate).
 Comparing 1Q11 to 4Q11, Unique Monthly Visitors grew by
250%.
 In November/December 2011, 83% of forum posts had a First
Reply, on average within 19 hours.
 Annual ROI of Support savings vs. overhead costs amounted to
~$6.8 million.
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast
© 2011 Autodesk

32. © 2011 Autodesk

33. Making Social the Way You Do
Business Q&A
Joe Cothrel Brian Kling
Chief Community Officer Community & Social Media
Lithium Program Manager
Autodesk
@cothrel @briankling #LithCast

34. Thank you.