Dow: Answering popular demands

Frequently asked questions that demonstrably are enhance their value to site visitors and owners alike.

The Site

Dow’s main website provides a gateway to the chemicals giant’s product pages, many of which include a link to the Dow Answer Center. This is an extensive FAQ area that uses dropdown menus to choose a product and application, and then lists queries relating to it, as well as some general questions.

The most commonly-asked questions feature at the top of the list. Responses might be in the form of text, a link to a relevant document or a request to get in touch. Customers can ask to be e-mailed if an answer is updated, while ‘answers others found useful’ are also listed. If they cannot find a relevant question, customers can send their own by clicking the Ask an Expert tab.

The Takeaway

It is rare that Frequently Asked Questions are exactly what they say they are – but Dow gives the number of times a question has been asked to prove that these are the real thing. This machine-driven approach means that questions are not grouped into topics, which would make them more usable, but it should ensure customers’ biggest concerns are answered. It should also, of course, save Dow a substantial amount of time by both pre-empting repetitive queries and by classifying those that do ask a question by product and application.

The Answer Center is not as well signposted as it could be, and does not appear to cover all products, but as the nucleus of an all-singing, all-dancing approach to customer support, it is impressive.

First published on 28 September, 2006