Machine Assisted Troubleshooting of a Customer Support Issue

A method for identifying a solution to problem or issue experienced by a customer with respect to a particular product or service, the method comprising:

• supplying information to a user-operated data processing system via networked communication, the information representing a number of components that are presented in at least one display window displayed by the user-operated data processing system, wherein the components include
• i) first data identifying a set of predetermined symptoms linked to the problem or issue experienced by the customer,
• ii) first interface elements that are configured to allow the user to classify the set of predetermined symptoms of i) into two classes including a first class of symptoms representing symptoms most likely experienced by the customer and a second class of symptoms representing symptoms most likely not experienced by the customer,
• iii) second data identifying a set of predetermined root causes linked to the set of predetermined symptoms of i),
• iv) second interface elements that are configured to allow the user to classify the set of predetermined root causes of iii) into two classes including a first class of root causes representing root causes most likely experienced by the customer and a second class of root causes representing root causes most likely not experienced by the customer, and
• v) third data identifying a set of solutions linked to the set of predetermined root causes of iii), wherein the third data identifies a best solution based upon the predetermined root causes of iii) and their associated class designations as dictated by user input with the second interface elements.

A knowledge interface that interacts with a user to identify a solution to problem or issue experienced by a customer with respect to a particular product or service, the knowledge interface comprising:

• data processing functionality that presents a number of components in at least one display window displayed to the user, wherein the components include
• i) first data identifying a set of predetermined symptoms linked to the problem or issue experienced by the customer,
• ii) first interface elements that are configured to allow the user to classify the set of predetermined symptoms of i) into two classes including a first class of symptoms representing symptoms most likely experienced by the customer and a second class of symptoms representing symptoms most likely not experienced by the customer,
• iii) second data identifying a set of predetermined root causes linked to the set of predetermined symptoms of i),
• iv) second interface elements that are configured to allow the user to classify the set of predetermined root causes of iii) into two classes including a first class of root causes representing root causes most likely experienced by the customer and a second class of root causes representing root causes most likely not experienced by the customer, and
• v) third data identifying a set of solutions linked to the set of predetermined root causes of iii), wherein the third data identifies a best solution based upon the predetermined root causes of iii) and their associated class designations as dictated by user input with the second interface elements.