Overview
People need help that feels immediate, relevant, and available in the flow of work.
Effective support removes blockers with speed and empathy. By offering clear resources, intelligent assistance, and strong community expertise—all in context—we help users feel heard and empowered. Fast resolution maintains productivity, strengthens trust, and reinforces IBM’s commitment to user success throughout the journey.
Metric | IBM goal | |
|---|---|---|
Time to Value | Issues are resolved via self‑service in under 15 minutes | Within minutes |
Completion Rate | 95% self‑service issue resolution rate | 95% |
Key moments
Getting help is a series of moments that resolve issues quickly and keep users moving forward.
Our job is to help users solve problems fast, ideally without leaving the product. Each moment should reduce frustration, build confidence, and provide clear paths to answers. Whether self‑serve or human‑assisted, the experience should restore momentum and reinforce trust.
When teams align on key value moments and design them together as a seamless journey, users progress smoothly, understanding deepens, and commitment grows.
Key moment | Definition |
|---|---|
First moment of confusion or failure (Trial help) | When a trial user encounters friction, uncertainty, or an unexpected result that interrupts their progress. |
First attempt to self‑serve an answer (Trial help) | When a user seeks help through in‑product guidance, documentation, or troubleshooting content to resolve an issue independently. |
First interaction with AI / help content (Trial help) | When a user engages an AI assistant or contextual help to get quick, targeted answers without leaving the product. |
First escalation to a human, if needed (Trial help) | When a user reaches out to support or sales for direct assistance after self‑serve options are insufficient. |
First moment of confusion or failure: post‑purchase (Paid help) | When a paying customer encounters an issue that disrupts their workflow and requires immediate clarity or resolution. |
First attempt to self‑serve an answer (Paid help) | When a customer turns to in‑product help, documentation, or guided troubleshooting to resolve an issue independently. |
First interaction with AI / help content (Paid help) | When a customer uses AI‑powered assistance to diagnose issues, learn steps, or get quick answers in context. |
First escalation to a human: if needed (Paid help) | When a customer contacts support or an IBM expert for deeper troubleshooting, validation, or hands‑on help. |
User communities (Both trial and paid help) | When users turn to community forums or peer groups to learn from others’ experiences, validate solutions, and build confidence through shared knowledge. |