In 2019, call centers were trucking along doing business as usual. Smart call centers were at least looking at new technologies with a plan to phase them in over time.
Then, 2020 happened, and everything sped up considerably.
Now, equipping a remote workforce was not just an elective; it was required. And the consumer and worker alike were relegated to remote-only interactions with tech support.
On the positive side, the technology fueling remote support exploded with innovation. And the best tools were quickly adopted by call centers that otherwise would have taken years to implement.
Today, tech support call centers must be equipped with the best remote support software to enable their agents to quickly resolve tech support issues with a great customer experience.
All remote tech support software is not the same. There are different types of tools for different types of support. When you consider tech support on equipment or issues outside software systems, you need a tool that gives visibility to the agent, i.e. agent’s eyes on the customer’s equipment. When you have a software or settings issue, you need a tech support tool that allows the agent to control a computer remotely. So there are different tools for different needs.
In this article, we've broken the primary call center software needs into three main categories. Then, we've listed our favorite tech support tools for each use case.
A lot of call centers still rely on phone conversations to help their customers. While basic phone conversations are quickly becoming an outdated tech support channel, they will remain the most common for some time.
But, in a post-pandemic world, a lot of call centers are moving to a remote workforce. This means all those on-premises PBX systems call centers have relied on for decades are going out of style fast. Cloud-based phone systems are in high demand, especially if they have the power and functionality to be used by the most demanding call center use cases.
RingCentral is one of the leading cloud-based call center solutions available today. Their cloud-based contact center product allows for inbound, outbound, and even digital connections to support agents.
RingCentral is a cloud-based PBX for call centers and is packed with powerful features that will make customer interactions positive while leveling up call center performance through analytics and reporting.
RingCentral Pricing: Basic phone service starts at $19.99/mo per user. For the contact center solution, you must contact sales for pricing.
Dameware Remote Everywhere (DRE) is a fast, cloud-based remote computer support solution with a lot of additional features like live chat and videoconferencing. The software can support almost any operating system (Windows, Mac OS, Linux) or mobile device (iOS or Android).
DRE goes beyond what other remote desktop control software usually offer, with advanced reporting capabilities and session notes and recordings to share internally. And with built-in communication tools like live chat and videoconferencing, helping end-users resolve software support issues is much more convenient and efficient.
Dameware Remote Everywhere Pricing: Starting at $540 per user license annually.
When agents need to support something outside of the operating system, or when they need to inspect technical issues with equipment in the field, providing support “blind,” using only voice communication, is not ideal. And in some cases can be downright frustrating.
Blitzz gives support agents “eyes in the room,” allowing them to troubleshoot problems through video visually. The cloud-based video support functionality includes a lot of powerful tools to help agents discover and resolve issues quickly:
Augmented Reality - Agents can annotate directly on the customer’s device, visually showing what they can’t communicate verbally. And the live pointer helps agents “point” to help users navigate complex problems.
Optical Character Capture - Capture text and numbers with a click. Getting accurate model and serial numbers has never been easier.
1:1 or Group Calls - Quickly add team members or supervisors to the video call. You can also add trainees or observers in with a silent role.
Resolution Data & Artificial Intelligence - Agent actions and the videos/images from every session can be cataloged and saved for future reference. And the artificial intelligence engine can quickly reference agents to prior support calls that successfully resolved the same issues, with the entire process recorded.
No App Download - Most software options with the same features require customers to download and configure software and have complex interfaces that require significant training for both the customer and the agent. Blitzz is web-based, which means agents and customers don’t have to download any complicated software. And it’s easy to use with a simple, intuitive interface with virtually no learning curve.
Take a test drive of Blitzz here.
Blitzz Pricing: Starting at $35/mo per user.
For many call centers, providing high-level tech support meant dispatching technicians to physically inspect and troubleshoot the problem on the premises. This now presents a few critical problems:
Truck Rolls are Expensive - Gas prices are soaring, which makes truck rolls even more expensive. And sitting in traffic for 2 hours to get on-site and fix a problem in 10 minutes means technicians are super inefficient. And the amount of resolutions they can accomplish per day is very low.
Social Distancing & Remote Work - Companies are hesitant to bring in unnecessary personnel, and with a lot of call centers going remote, maintaining a protocol of in-person visits is no longer ideal.
Technicians Can Be More Efficient Remotely - Cutting out the travel time means technicians can take more tech support inquiries and resolve more issues in the same amount of time.
Having the right tools to empower remote tech support is mission-critical. With the right tools and processes in place, remote tech support can be just as effective - and in many cases even more effective and efficient - as in-person dispatches.