Vendor web sites have become a secondary resource to general web searches when customers need help. Historically customers have rated the quality and effectiveness of information found on non-vendor web sites very low, but this trend has shifted with more customers indicting that the information they find through general web searches to be relevant to their needs and effective.
When customers find information on other – non-vendor sites, it diminishes a company’s ability to leverage the service interaction as a means to strengthen its relationship with customers. Without a concerted effort to expand and improve the quality, relevance and findability of the right services content through the support web site vendors risk losing the advantage they once had in retaining control of the on-line service experience.
| Where Customers Go for Technical Support Information | Self-help Resources Most Frequently Used |
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