Remote-support technology is a proven way to increase agent productivity by empowering them with the ability to access a device directly for more accurate troubleshooting without leaving their desks. Even companies with successful knowledge-base implementations and highly trained agents can find a significant return on investment (ROI) for a remote-support project.
Remote-support technology can give you the following benefits:
Reducing call-handling time. Case studies from successful remote-support implementations show that with an agent in the driver's seat, incident-handling time can be lowered by as much as 50 percent for certain incidents. As technology becomes more complex, walking novice customers through recovery procedures or checking detailed settings can take time and increase customer frustration. With the agent free to take control of the machine, perform needed procedures and check settings, much less time is spent actually resolving the issue.
Increasing first-interaction closure rates. When agents are able to instantly "see" error situations first-hand and check the system environment remotely, problems can be identified and resolved immediately, avoiding multiple calls or email communication to gather additional information.
Deflecting phone interactions. Allowing customers to communicate effectively via their channel of choice is key to increasing satisfaction. Remote support offers the same capabilities via a Web chat/collaboration session as a phone call, allowing customers to remain in their channel of choice for the entire problem-resolution session.
Remote-support technologies should be a standard component of all application management solutions. Remote-support leads to higher customer satisfaction and reduces cost for the application management service provider. Remote support technology can significantly impact the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and/or lower delivery costs. If not applied properly, however, it can also introduce unintended consequences.The key to success with remote support is to solve the right problems in the right context. It is also critical to have realistic expectations about how to measure success with remote support applications - success may not always be defined in terms of lower cost. To determine the right fit for remote support technology, consider the following:
- What problems are you trying to solve?
- What results do you expect?
- How will you know if remote support is successful?
The Remote Support Road Map
There is no right or wrong time to apply remote support technology provided it delivers tangible benefit to the business. Organizations can leverage remote support applications for highly complex situations, or for lessâ€Âcomplex issues. The most important consideration for determining how and when to apply this technology lies in the expected benefits to be gained from leveraging it. The following roadmap provides guidance on targeting different applications for remote support based on the complexity of issues involved and expected benefits. Establishing a secure connection between the support expert and the customer enables the expert to run diagnostic utilities, review log files,verify systems settings and evaluate the environment in which the problem occurs. The support representative may even be able to duplicate the reported situation.Not all cases unresolved at first contact will require onâ€Âtheâ€Âspot investigation, nor will all support representatives be qualified to facilitate an effective advanced diagnostics session. While the diagnostic session may reveal the cause of the problem and present an opportunity to resolve the issue, many situations may require additional investigation. In these situations, remote support technology must provide sufficient "evidence" to support ongoing "offline" investigation. To assure they take the appropriate diagnostic steps, and to minimize the need to go back to the customer for more information, representatives can use diagnostic checklists or scripts.
|