In customer service and support, remotely connecting to a customer’s computer is often the most efficient method for troubleshooting and fixing customer issues. For technical support, in particular, remote access saves time, reduces frustration for the customer as well as the agent, and lends itself to improved satisfaction on either end.
If you already have a customer service software solution in place, but could further streamline your customer support operations with a remote desktop application; there are numerous software providers offering a variety of features at a broad range of prices. In some cases (GoToMeeting and WebEx Meetings, for instance), remote desktop sharing is just one piece of a broader collaboration and meeting platform. Instant Housecall and LogMeIn Rescue, on the other hand, specifically target customer support providers with a rich set of troubleshooting tools for support agents.
While many remote desktop providers offer cloud-based services, companies with heightened security concerns or regulatory guidelines (healthcare, legal, financial, government) calling for higher security standards; a cloud-based solution may not fit. For these companies, an installed appliance such as the one offered by Bomgar provides a great alternative for secure remote support.
At PhaseWare, our support team favors GoToMeeting for its ease-of-use, familiarity, and solid tool set. Additionally, GoToMeeting has features we use for client meetings, sales activities, and live demos. As a fairly small organization, GoToMeeting meets our needs at a price we love; however, your needs may be vastly different than ours.
As you consider remote desktop solutions for your customer service and support team, be sure to understand your needs in the following areas: remote access features, sharing tools, ease of use, security, and help and support. How big is your team? How many people will be using the application simultaneously? Is screen share enough, or will your agents need keyboard and mouse control as well?
Bomgar
With prices starting at $1,188, the Bomgar appliance is available in Standard (2-20 concurrent licenses) and Enterprise (2-10,000) editions with Bomgar customers actually purchasing rather than “renting†the appliance.
- Representative consoles: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Android
- Supported end-user platforms: Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile
- Mobile representative consoles: iOS, Android
- FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Certified
Features overview
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GoToMeeting
As mentioned above, GoToMeeting serves as a full-featured meeting and collaboration platform. While Citrix offers other “GoTo†products, those accommodate larger meetings and presentations such as webinars and training sessions. For a small customer support team, the remote desktop features of GoToMeeting are more than adequate.
For $49 per month, or $468 per year (per user prices), you get unlimited use with no overage charges with a maximum of 25 attendees. In customer support, however, the number of attendees doesn’t matter much as you’re typically supporting a single customer at a time.
Features overview
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WebEx Meetings
For its full meeting and collaboration tool, WebEx offers three separate editions. As you can see below, the Basic edition has only standard video quality and VoIP audio, and does not include application or remote control features. As a customer support tool, the Basic edition may not have all the features you need to deliver the best customer experience.
The Premium 8 and Premium 25 editions both have HD video, multiple call-in options, and a complete set of sharing tools, in addition four times more storage space. The difference between the two Premium editions comes in the number of host licenses.
Features overview
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Basic
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Premium 8 |
Premium 25 |
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Full WebEx Meetings feature list
For $99/mo., Cisco also offers the WebEx Support Center, which provides a more complete set of customer support tools. Features include inbound and outbound support requests, Web-based automated call distribution (ACD) routing and queue management, collection of system information, rebooting/reconnection, and CRM integration. If you’re simply looking for a remote desktop solution, WebEx Support Center is likely much more than you need, but it’s worth noting.
LogMeIn Rescue
https://secure.logmeinrescue.com
As a tool for your customer support agents to quickly and easily support PCs, Macs, and smart phones in a secure manner, LogMeIn Rescue stands out as a robust and effective support tool. At $129/mo. or $1,188/yr. per user, LogMeIn Rescue may not be the best choice for smaller organizations, but its features and ease-of-use are noteworthy. Adding support for smart phones will cost an additional $768/yr.
Features overview
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LogMeIn Rescue full feature list
Mikogo
Available in three, multi-user editions, Mikogo offers annual billing options as well as one-time payments for lifetime plans. Each edition includes the full feature set with unlimited meetings with prices varying by number of participants allowed per session. For customer support, the Basic edition makes the most sense; however, you’re only allowed a single session at a time. Additional simultaneous sessions are available at a 50% discount.
- Basic: $39/mo. billed annually, or $1,197 lifetime plan
- Pro: $57/mo. billed annually, or $1,617 lifetime plan
- Pro+: $72/mo. billed annually, or $2,007 lifetime plan
Features overview
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Instant Housecall
With Express and Professional Editions, Instant Housecall offers a good range of solutions for companies of varying sizes. Each edition comes with a full feature set, supports Mac and PC, and enables agents to work from anywhere. The Express edition supports three simultaneous sessions and co-branding, while Professional supports 10 simultaneous chat sessions and full company branding. Additionally, the Professional edition supports 200 unattended installations as well as pager and SMS notifications.
- Express: $49/mo. billed every three months; $41/mo. billed every 12 months; or $899 lifetime with no recurring fees
- Professional: $49/mo. billed every three months; $41/mo. billed every 12 months; or $899 lifetime with no recurring fees
Features overview
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Instant Housecall full feature list