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There is beauty in simplicity, the saying goes, and this is as true in IT as anywhere else, especially when it comes to customer support.
With remote and hybrid working now prevalent for many businesses, it’s more important than ever to handle support calls as quickly, efficiently, and securely as possible. That’s often easier said than done, and with the variety of products available on the market, it can be easy to get bogged down in possible choices.
So here are some ways to make seamless customer support easy in 2023.
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Mapping the support landscape
A good first step is to take stock of your current customer support situation and how it is likely to develop in the near future: ask yourself what works, what doesn’t, and how that can be changed.
A common stumbling block when it comes to remote IT support is finding a platform or piece of software that works equally well across all different types of devices and operating systems.
In the past, it probably would have been fine to rely on a product that only works on Windows PCs and laptops – according to Statistics (opens in new tab)more than 90% of all desktop PCs ran Windows in 2013, but things are changing fast. Apple’s macOS increased its market share from 8% 10 years ago to 15% in January 2023, while Linux tripled its market share from 0.8% to 2.4% over the same period. Other operating systems have also increased their market share, with ChromeOS in particular consistently leveling with Linux since late 2019. When we visualize mobile devices and their operating systems, according to GlobalStats Statcounter (opens in new tab)Android is the world’s most popular operating system, followed by Windows and then iOS, with macOS in fourth place.
Add to that all the different hardware that these operating systems run on, and we have a very complicated picture before we even think about the software where customers might need support.
Using remote support software that works equally well in all these different environments, such as Rescue, is absolutely essential to keep both customers and IT technicians happy.
Quiet training, easy administration
Finding a system that can work in different environments is one thing, but if it can’t work with your team, it’s no use at all. Using a solution that is simple to use, easy to deploy and easy to onboard is the best way to ensure technicians know exactly how to use the software and provide effective support without taking them out of business to attend a formal training session.
While ease of use is important for support engineers, it’s also essential that management tools are intuitive and easy to use. For example, Rescue’s tools provide real-time performance monitoring and KPI tracking. The level of detail available with Rescue might even surprise you, as managers are able to drill down into individual technician behavior such as number of closed sessions, active sessions, average wait time, and more.
It’s not just those providing support who should find the software easy to use; customers should find it easy and intuitive to get in touch, even if they’re not particularly tech-savvy. One way to ensure this is to use a solution like Rescue, which allows customers to get in touch through multiple channels. These can be in-browser or in-app chat modules, or something more traditional and familiar like email, where technicians can seamlessly respond to their needs no matter how the request comes in.
It’s also important that any remote support software doesn’t work in isolation and can be fully integrated into your company’s other systems, such as workflow management, CRM, and other customer support platforms. This way, technicians don’t have to open multiple applications to handle a query, and there’s at-a-glance visibility of past remote support interactions for whoever has the next contact with that customer. For example, Rescue has open API integration with Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce Lightning, and Zendesk, among others. It is also suitable if your company has embraced flexible, remote and hybrid working, as support professionals can also log in from anywhere instead of having to come to a central location such as a call center if that is not your strategy.
Security is essential
Whether they are operated entirely online or have a minimal online presence beyond a web page and social media account, computers and the internet are at the core of the activities of all businesses today. They are also an organization’s biggest weakness, with cybercriminals able to target almost any business they deem worthwhile.
This means that it is almost impossible to overstate the importance of cybersecurity. This is doubly true for remote support, where there is a high level of trust that the customer is giving someone remote access to their internal IT systems. Regular audits, top-notch encryption and multi-factor authentication are all a must for any product worth its salt and will reassure both you and your customers that all support sessions are safe. Rescue offers all this and more. For example, with rights-based access, administrators can ensure that technicians only have access to tools and data they really need to do their jobs. This can be done by grouping technicians and applying rules in bulk, by person, or a combination of both if desired.
It’s also important that customers maintain a certain level of control – transferring access to and control of a computer remotely requires a lot of trust. Therefore, with Rescue, the end user has ultimate control over the session; they start it and they can end it at any time. This assures your customers that you always have their best interests at heart.
Online customer support should be a seamless experience for everyone involved, from the point of contact to resolution. Finding an enterprise-grade solution like Rescue can enable you to offer this type of service and experience without compromising functionality for simplicity.
