Knowledge base in Richpanel

Richpanel's Topics feature empowers businesses to automate customer service by creating self-service solutions for both general and order-specific queries.
General Topics enable customers to resolve common issues independently by offering tailored self-service options. These topics help address a wide range of queries, improving efficiency and reducing the need for agent intervention.
Order Topics are specifically designed for order-related concerns, allowing customers to handle tasks such as order tracking, cancellations, or returns without agent assistance.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to set up and optimize topics in Richpanel. Learn to use default actions, forms, links, conditions, and assignments to create a seamless and automated customer support experience.

1. Page Overview

The General Topics page allows you to:

Create topics for common customer queries (e.g., "Warranty Period?" or "Refund Policy").
Automate responses to handle up to 60% of tickets via self-service.

Key Features:

Search Bar: Locate existing topics quickly.
Language Dropdown: Choose the language for the topics you want to create.
"Add New Topic" Button: Begin creating a new self-service topic with customizable options.

2. Creating a New Topic

When you create a topic, you’ll encounter several fields and actions to set it up effectively:

Title:

Enter a descriptive name for the topic (e.g., "Where is my order?").
This is what the customer will see in the self-service portal.

Description:

Provide a short, informative explanation for the topic.
Use formatting options like bold, italic, lists, and links to make it visually appealing.

Video Links:

Add video tutorials for customers.
Example: A "How to track your order" video can be linked to visually assist customers.

3. Default Action

You can define what action occurs when a customer interacts with the topic. Here’s what each default action does:

Chat with Us:

Redirects customers to a live chat for further assistance.
Use Case: When a topic requires personalized help, like specific order issues.

Attempt to Close the Ticket:

Marks the query as resolved without further action.
Use Case: For topics like "Store hours" or "Shipping timeframes" where the answer is straightforward.

Ask for Rating:

Displays a prompt: "Is there anything else I can help you with?" with Yes/No buttons.
Behavior:

Yes: Redirects the customer back to the General Topics list.
No: Closes the interaction.

Use Case: For topics like "Order confirmation received" to ensure the query is fully resolved.

The Edit Button Text option in the Default Action allows you to customize the text displayed on the primary and secondary buttons for a specific FAQ. For example, you can change "Send us a message" to "Contact Support" or "Okay, thanks" to "Issue resolved" to better suit the context of your topic. These changes will apply only to the selected FAQ.

4. Forms

Forms in General Topics can either be created directly within the topic setup or you can select pre-saved forms. To use pre-saved forms, go to Settings > Conversation Fields > Add a New Field, create the form, and it will become available for selection here. This flexibility allows you to collect customer details like order IDs or reasons for return efficiently.

Forms in General Topics can either be created directly or by selecting pre-saved forms. To create pre-saved forms:

Navigate to Settings > Conversation Fields > Add a New Field.
Fill in the following details:

Name: The field name will appear in conversations with customers when collecting data (e.g., "First Name" or "Order ID").
Description: Provide a brief explanation of the field's purpose (optional but helpful for internal clarity).
Field Type: Select the type of input required, such as text, dropdown, date, etc.

Toggle the Use in Forms option to include the field in forms.
Optional toggles:

Agents can add/edit this: Allow agents to manually edit or update the field.
Use as Tokens: Use the collected data dynamically in messages or replies.
Use in Rules: Include the field in automation conditions or rules.

After saving, the form will be available to select and use within General Topics. This ensures consistency and efficiency when collecting essential customer information.

Use Cases:

Order Details Form: Collect order ID and email before starting a chat for "Order Status" topics.
Return Request Form: Collect details like order ID and return reason for "Refund and Returns" topics.

5. Links

Add helpful links to guide customers to relevant pages or resources.

Steps to Add:

Enter a Link Text (e.g., "Track your order").
Provide the Link Action (e.g., URL to the order tracking page).

Use Cases:

Direct customers to your FAQ page for common issues.
Redirect them to the shipping carrier's tracking page.

6. Conditions

Conditions allow you to customize when a topic is visible to customers.

Steps:

Add a condition (e.g., "Order Status visibility").
Set criteria like:

Order status equals "Shipped."
Customer location is "US."

Use Cases:

Show the "Track your Order" topic only for shipped orders.
Show the "Return Policy" topic only for orders from a specific country.

7. Assign

Assign topics to specific agents or teams to handle escalations effectively.

Steps to Assign:

Choose an agent from the dropdown menu.
Assign responsibility to the selected agent or leave it unassigned.

Use Cases:

Assign the "Return and Refund" topic to your Returns Team.
Assign "Technical Support" topics to an IT specialist.

8. Visibility Settings

Decide who can view a specific topic.

All: Visible to both customers and agents.
Customers: Displayed only to customers in the self-service portal.
Agents: Available only for internal use by your team.

Use Case:

Set "Internal Escalation Guidelines" visible to agents only for internal processes.