Support:Overview: Difference between revisions
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Firefox Support Overview | == '''Firefox Support Overview''' == | ||
To date, Mozilla community volunteers have provided user support for Firefox that has met and exceeded the needs of the technology users and the early adopters of Firefox. As Firefox’s market share grows beyond early adopters, our user support needs to evolve. This Firefox Support Working Group has spent the last month doing research and community outreach (see below for details) on how Mozilla should evolve user support through a community based approach. | To date, Mozilla community volunteers have provided user support for Firefox that has met and exceeded the needs of the technology users and the early adopters of Firefox. As Firefox’s market share grows beyond early adopters, our user support needs to evolve. This Firefox Support Working Group has spent the last month doing research and community outreach (see below for details) on how Mozilla should evolve user support through a community based approach. | ||
Why should we focus on Firefox support? | '''Why should we focus on Firefox support?''' | ||
- Currently, there are approximately 1 million visits to en-us support site a month, so this is a very high leverage area | - Currently, there are approximately 1 million visits to en-us support site a month, so this is a very high leverage area | ||
- Current disparate and often confusing support offerings no longer meet the needs of the expanding Firefox user base | - Current disparate and often confusing support offerings no longer meet the needs of the expanding Firefox user base | ||
What problems are we trying to solve: | '''What problems are we trying to solve:''' | ||
Simplify navigation to relevant and enhanced content | Simplify navigation to relevant and enhanced content | ||
Support and expand the volunteer support community | Support and expand the volunteer support community | ||
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Improve metrics and feedback loops for a better product | Improve metrics and feedback loops for a better product | ||
Simplify navigation to relevant and enhanced content | '''Simplify navigation to relevant and enhanced content''' | ||
Currently, Firefox support is spread across Mozilla.com, Mozilla.org, MozillaZine.org, in addition to many others. The way we present support options to users is verbose and overly confusing. | Currently, Firefox support is spread across Mozilla.com, Mozilla.org, MozillaZine.org, in addition to many others. The way we present support options to users is verbose and overly confusing. | ||
-Currently, we have poor integration of “Help” (in product help) and “Support”(MozillaZine Knowledge Base) documentation | -Currently, we have poor integration of “Help” (in product help) and “Support”(MozillaZine Knowledge Base) documentation | ||
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-In addition, we need to organize, integrate and leverage new content like the over 500 YouTube videos, and 150,000 "Firefox tips" that have been produced and published across the web | -In addition, we need to organize, integrate and leverage new content like the over 500 YouTube videos, and 150,000 "Firefox tips" that have been produced and published across the web | ||
Support, expand and leverage the volunteer support community | '''Support, expand and leverage the volunteer support community''' | ||
Community is key: success of Firefox support depends on continued involvement of community of volunteers and engaging new ones | Community is key: success of Firefox support depends on continued involvement of community of volunteers and engaging new ones | ||
We’ve engaged the support community from the start in the improvement planning process through: | We’ve engaged the support community from the start in the improvement planning process through: | ||
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- open forum sessions (5 call-ins and IRC chats) | - open forum sessions (5 call-ins and IRC chats) | ||
“Supporting our Supporters” | '''“Supporting our Supporters”''' | ||
-Identify and support our supporters the same way we do our developer community (t-shirts, resources (training and technical), “support” versions/components of dev days, Firefox Summit participation) | -Identify and support our supporters the same way we do our developer community (t-shirts, resources (training and technical), “support” versions/components of dev days, Firefox Summit participation) | ||
Make support easier for volunteers (reduce duplication of posts, better support through tools and training) | Make support easier for volunteers (reduce duplication of posts, better support through tools and training) | ||
Make international support and scaling easier | '''Make international support and scaling easier''' | ||
- Allow for support to scale with growth of Firefox--not crash servers during product launches | - Allow for support to scale with growth of Firefox--not crash servers during product launches | ||
- As international market share grows, international users are finding it harder to find support (especially when they come to the Mozilla.com site—we don’t have anything) | - As international market share grows, international users are finding it harder to find support (especially when they come to the Mozilla.com site—we don’t have anything) | ||
- Make localization easier—current scattered content makes localization more difficult | - Make localization easier—current scattered content makes localization more difficult | ||
Improve metrics for feedback loops for a better product | '''Improve metrics for feedback loops for a better product''' | ||
- Good metrics on severity and frequency of problems will help us build better products | - Good metrics on severity and frequency of problems will help us build better products | ||
- Feedback loop to Firefox developers and product team | - Feedback loop to Firefox developers and product team | ||
| Line 42: | Line 51: | ||
- Good metrics around how helpful our support offerings are help us continually improve retention through better support | - Good metrics around how helpful our support offerings are help us continually improve retention through better support | ||
''' How we think should address this:''' | |||
- Knowledge base and good search tools are the backbone of system | -Develop an integrated community based support platform on mozilla.com (that includes “Firefox Help”) | ||
-Knowledge base and good search tools are the backbone of system | |||
- KB content is main hub of “how to” and “troubleshooting” content and is first point of reference for users seeking help | - KB content is main hub of “how to” and “troubleshooting” content and is first point of reference for users seeking help | ||
- Support forums and live chat are communications channels for more complex questions not answered in knowledge base. | -Support forums and live chat are communications channels for more complex questions not answered in knowledge base. | ||
(See Firefox support flow chart) | (See Firefox support flow chart) | ||
| Line 52: | Line 62: | ||
Appoint/hire Firefox support coordinator | Appoint/hire Firefox support coordinator | ||
Responsible for day to day operations of infrastructure | Responsible for day to day operations of infrastructure | ||
Organize and coordinate efforts of the support community, monitoring program health through metrics | Organize and coordinate efforts of the support community, monitoring program health through metrics | ||
Position could sit within the retention team of marketing | Position could sit within the retention team of marketing | ||
Some initial indicators of success | '''Some initial indicators of success''' | ||
- Reduce # of webmaster emails, phone calls, bugzilla, hendrix and letters | - Reduce # of webmaster emails, phone calls, bugzilla, hendrix and letters | ||
- Forum volume decreases only to questions not in kb | - Forum volume decreases only to questions not in kb | ||
| Line 63: | Line 75: | ||
- Retention rates should increase | - Retention rates should increase | ||
Next steps: see PRD and provide feedback through Firefox.support.planning newsgroup | '''Next steps:''' see PRD and provide feedback through Firefox.support.planning newsgroup | ||
Revision as of 19:34, 17 May 2007
Firefox Support Overview
To date, Mozilla community volunteers have provided user support for Firefox that has met and exceeded the needs of the technology users and the early adopters of Firefox. As Firefox’s market share grows beyond early adopters, our user support needs to evolve. This Firefox Support Working Group has spent the last month doing research and community outreach (see below for details) on how Mozilla should evolve user support through a community based approach.
Why should we focus on Firefox support?
- Currently, there are approximately 1 million visits to en-us support site a month, so this is a very high leverage area - Current disparate and often confusing support offerings no longer meet the needs of the expanding Firefox user base
What problems are we trying to solve:
Simplify navigation to relevant and enhanced content Support and expand the volunteer support community Make international support and scaling easier Improve metrics and feedback loops for a better product
Simplify navigation to relevant and enhanced content
Currently, Firefox support is spread across Mozilla.com, Mozilla.org, MozillaZine.org, in addition to many others. The way we present support options to users is verbose and overly confusing. -Currently, we have poor integration of “Help” (in product help) and “Support”(MozillaZine Knowledge Base) documentation -While there tends to be a good amount of content, it is not always easy to find or understand -In addition, we need to organize, integrate and leverage new content like the over 500 YouTube videos, and 150,000 "Firefox tips" that have been produced and published across the web
Support, expand and leverage the volunteer support community
Community is key: success of Firefox support depends on continued involvement of community of volunteers and engaging new ones We’ve engaged the support community from the start in the improvement planning process through: - chofmann’s initial MozillaZine forum post - newsgroups/Google group (15 participants) - open forum sessions (5 call-ins and IRC chats)
“Supporting our Supporters”
-Identify and support our supporters the same way we do our developer community (t-shirts, resources (training and technical), “support” versions/components of dev days, Firefox Summit participation)
Make support easier for volunteers (reduce duplication of posts, better support through tools and training)
Make international support and scaling easier
- Allow for support to scale with growth of Firefox--not crash servers during product launches - As international market share grows, international users are finding it harder to find support (especially when they come to the Mozilla.com site—we don’t have anything) - Make localization easier—current scattered content makes localization more difficult
Improve metrics for feedback loops for a better product
- Good metrics on severity and frequency of problems will help us build better products - Feedback loop to Firefox developers and product team -Provide escalation path for unanswered questions - Don’t wait until the exit survey to figure out where our problems are
- Good metrics around how helpful our support offerings are help us continually improve retention through better support
How we think should address this:
-Develop an integrated community based support platform on mozilla.com (that includes “Firefox Help”)
-Knowledge base and good search tools are the backbone of system
- KB content is main hub of “how to” and “troubleshooting” content and is first point of reference for users seeking help
-Support forums and live chat are communications channels for more complex questions not answered in knowledge base.
(See Firefox support flow chart)
International: Short term provide "directory" of community generated support sites
Appoint/hire Firefox support coordinator
Responsible for day to day operations of infrastructure Organize and coordinate efforts of the support community, monitoring program health through metrics Position could sit within the retention team of marketing
Some initial indicators of success
- Reduce # of webmaster emails, phone calls, bugzilla, hendrix and letters - Forum volume decreases only to questions not in kb - # of community members involved increases - Signal to noise ratio in bugzilla continues to go up - Retention rates should increase
Next steps: see PRD and provide feedback through Firefox.support.planning newsgroup