Tips on Writing Solutions

Reusable

• Include all facts and symptoms of the problem.
• Include any necessary analysis or troubleshooting ideas.
• Include a concise, accurate description of the cause and resolution of the problem.
• Include only one cause and one resolution per solution. If there are a number of steps to the resolution, number each step and put it on a separate line.
• Make sure the text is clear and in the language of the intended audience—both customer support users and your customers.
• Make sure the title properly describes the problem or question.
• Associate as many relevant solutions to a particular case as possible to increase the usefulness of the suggested solutions feature. Suggested solutions are found using a formula that automatically scores the relevancy of each solution to a particular case via the number of times the solution is related to similar cases.

Use a consistent format to ensure that all solutions are reusable. You can determine the best format for your organization, but make sure each solution contains a title, the symptoms of the problem, the cause of the problem, and the resolution to the problem.

Findable

• Make sure the solution can be found by multiple troubleshooting paths and by different people who will describe problems in different ways.
• Make sure the solution is unique and can exist as a discrete piece of knowledge.
• Make sure the solution is meaningful to your organization and is worth sharing with your customers.
• Make sure the solution includes words that customers use so that when they log their own cases via the Self-Service Portal or the Customer Portal, the suggested solutions feature can return useful results based on word frequency. For example, if customers use the word “hub” for “router,” include “hub” in the solution to increase the likelihood of it being returned in the results of suggested solutions.
  

  Note Starting with Spring ’12, the Self-Service portal isn’t available for new Salesforce orgs. Existing orgs continue to have access to the Self-Service portal.

Technically Accurate

• Make sure the solution is accurate and up-to-date.
• Make sure the level of technical detail is appropriate for the intended audience.

Sample Solution

This example provides a clear solution to a specific problem.

How do I change an account's billing information?

Problem–Users aren't sure how to change an account's billing information, such as the credit card number or payment type.
Solution–Change billing information in the active contract on the account.
1. Open an account by clicking its name on the Accounts home page or an Accounts related list.
2. Scroll to the Contracts related list and click Edit next to the active contract on the account.
3. Enter the correct billing information.
4. Click Save.