With gas prices being as high as they are (we're paying over $4 a gallon now here in California), you have at least thought about charging your customers a little more for on-site service to make up for the increased cost.Even though this might seem the logical thing to do, you might want to reconsider. In today's economy your customer is certainly not going to be happy with a price increase and might look for alternatives or putting of certain service issues altogether. You'll probably make more friends if you can tell them that, with new technology, you can actually save them time and money.
Enter Remote Assistance.
The Solution
I'm using the term "remote assistance" loosely but it basically means that, with the right software, and a fast Internet connection between you and your customer, you can access your customers' computer from anywhere you have an Internet connection. This allows you to install software, set up peripherals , perform maintenance, troubleshoot and even teach customers.
Before I list some of the different options, I want you to realize that each option comes with its own peculiarities and usually means installation of some type of software on the users machine. Because of the large number of different options I will only discuss a few below. Make sure you find the solution that fits your needs by testing it.
Before your install any software on your customers' computer, make sure your customer understands the implications of installing this type of software on his system. For some customers it can be very frightening to know someone can access their PC, and potentially their information remotely.
Here's a small list of companies that offer either SaaS (software as a service) or downloadable software:
http://www.rapidassist.com/
http://www.gotoassist.com/
http://www.radmin.com/
http://www.teamviewer.com/
http://www.remote-desktop-control.com/
http://www.realvnc.com/
https://secure.logmeinrescue.com/HelpDesk/Home.aspx
