Zero Level support – an introduction and guide

Zero Level support, or 0-level support, is a term for a support concept which involves using web-based self-service as a stage before the traditional first-line support. Zero Level support frees up time and resources for manned support and allows support to be provided more quickly. One consequence of the introduction of Zero Level support is that the right types of issues are directed to the right support channels. Web-based self-service does away with the simple, recurring issues which users could ideally resolve themselves. Zero Level support is effective as an internal form of support for employees within a company, but it is also effective as a form of external support for clients.

In the world of support – by which I mean the theoretical and frequently documented world of support – we often see descriptions of how support organisations work and can work in depth, but one problem is that the web has long been regarded as something “different”, something that is controlled by other departments within a company. In my opinion, the web is perhaps even now – when it is used – the most important tool for any support organisation. I see evidence of this every single day among clients and other companies that have made a lot of progress with their online support facilities.

Is Zero Level support our new SPOC?

SPOC (Single Point of Contact) is a service function which the service desk provides to users so that they can make contact, no matter what their issue is. Then the service desk can pass the case on (escalate it) to the right channel or person. Ideally, Zero Level support can be used in the same way. That is to say, by far the most success with web-based self-service is enjoyed by the companies that use their web-based support portals to acquire most of their cases, and then users themselves can decide whether do their own hunting for the answers to their questions in a text or video guide. If you are unable to find the answer you are looking for, you can be passed on directly from web-based support. Standard services which are made available via web-based support include case management systems, service desk telephone numbers, “click to call” and e-mail support.

So what is Zero Level support?

Zero Level support means that online support is the natural first point of contact; you do not get in touch with a support person, therefore, you look for assistance and proceed from a web-based support service. The advantage of Zero Level support is that it allows you to identify simple, recurring cases and produce easy guides to resolve these problems. As soon as a guide has been created and published via the web-based support service, it is made available to an unlimited number of users. Any service desk working to provide good services is able to keep a close eye on what the most frequently asked questions are and can work proactively and offer its users simple, clear online instructions relating to appropriate fields and selected services. A good system should also help the service desk to identify new needs and gaps so that they can supply the necessary information quickly.

Working with Zero Level support

The results rarely take a long time to come. So when you have got people used to working like this, many people are of the opinion that the web-based support channel is one of the most important resources available as it is always available and is constantly being improved as more and more knowledge is added every day. Another advantage of working with the Zero Level support concept and web-based support is that it gives service desk staff themselves an important source of knowledge and assistance. Service desks have never been subject to more stringent demands. There are more programs and IT services than ever before for support agents to be familiar with, but with a readily accessible web-based support service, service desk staff do not need to know everything off by heart. Instead, all they need to know is where to find the information.

Many case management systems have built-in knowledge bases designed to provide support for service desks. The problem is that these often work better in theory than in practice, and people rarely have time to type up guides while also manning a service desk and facing a queue of users waiting for someone to talk to. Sometimes staff do not even have time to enter cases in the case management system. Content stored in a knowledge base in a case management system can sometimes act as basic information for web-based self-service.

With this knowledge available, there are two important things to bear in mind if success is to be achieved; and not starting with an empty database is one of them. There are far too many repeat questions which are exactly or almost exactly the same, no matter what company or organisation you work for. On the one hand, you need special writing skills to be able to create user-friendly, simple guides for users at a company. It is naïve to think, for example, that everyone manning a service desk has the expertise required to write good support instructions. On many occasions, for example, it is an advantage not to have an entirely technical background, nor to be an “expert”, as this can mean that people take things for granted without thinking and can forget to consider obvious explanations that are not obvious to a “non-expert”. Another tip is always to maintain a simple “style guide” which provides a few general guidelines and rules on how guides should be produced, what elements they should include and what they should look like.

I recommend that you allocate a Content Manager role to someone on the service desk. This then makes them responsible for ensuring that the content in Zero Level support documents is always up to date and correct. It is also a good idea to introduce a procedure which involves production of new guides in all instances where they would be expected to answer most questions before new services are rolled out within an organisation, when they are needed most. This procedure may work so that a system owner, for example, provides unprocessed basic material produced by him or him or which has come directly from an external supplier, and distributes it to a Content Manager who is responsible for ensuring that suitable guides are produced and available when the IT service or program is rolled out to end-users or clients.

Five quick tips for anyone considering introducing Zero Level support:

1. Choose suitable web-based self-service. Ensure that basic material with sufficient breadth and depth in the form of complete guides is available so that you do not have to start from scratch.
2. Appoint one or more people (Content Managers) to stand responsible for and work with the web channel content.
3. Devise realistic targets for how many cases you can handle via Zero Level support, and set a value for this.
4. Set up a procedure concerning how you will get input from the rest of the company or organisation so that you can get people used to the whole concept of Zero Level support and get help when rolling out new IT services within the company or organisation. Use the fact that the systems manager is normally the person responsible for ensuring that the necessary knowledge and support are available for their system. System owners are often very willing to cooperate.
5. Do not try to provide answers to all cases in Zero Level support, but consider an 80-20 approach or even a 90-10 approach; in other words, make sure that 90% of all cases can be handled of all the possible cases that might be reported. It is better to deal with the unusual cases via other channels. The most important thing is to make sure that the content of web-based self-service includes up to date material which is currently in demand.

Is there an ROI?

In short: YES. According to a Swedish survey, a self-service costs an average of $4 to resolve, while a case directed to a manned support line costs an average of $30. You can easily work out that you will save $26 (or free up resources worth $26) for every case resolved by your Zero Level support.

Here, you can easily calculate your own anticipated savings per year, based on how many users you have.

An entirely realistic target for Zero Level support is to resolve as many cases via the web channel as are otherwise resolved by the manned service desk. That is to say, if you have 30 000 cases a year, if you introduce Zero Level support and web-based self-service you can normally resolve a further 30 000 cases with this unmanned “zero level”, so you will resolve 60 000 cases.

Thanks for reading this article. I look forward to hearing about your experiences and receiving your questions and comments.