Remote Repair Reaps Rewards

With the proliferation of broadband, many PC users are moving away from dial-up connectivity and signing on for high-speed Internet access. Further, with the imminent introduction of Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, better known as WiMax, customers in even rural areas are gaining access to high-speed Internet service for about the same cost as DSL and cable Internet. This growth in broadband connectivity is an opportunity for system builders to offer repair services without leaving their desks.

Most software-related problems—whether crashes, configuration, network, or data-recovery issues—can be fixed via Internet access to the user's keyboard and mouse. For service providers, this helps three ways: First, you save money by not having to physically travel to a site, and by not losing any time in transit. Second, you can offer faster service to the customer—sometimes even instantly. Third, you'll need to send a technician on-site only after you've exhausted the remote possibilities beforehand. Plus, you'll have a record of what's not needed to repair on the call.

Working remotely, a system builder can also save money on costly warranty calls. Research by Culpepper and Associates shows that a system builder's cost of making warranty service calls can exceed their earnings on the original sale. Not a good way to make money!

Past Limitations with Remote Access Utilities

But most remote-access software available today needs to be pre-configured on both the client PC and remote PC. Additionally, on a corporate, office or home network, firewalls need to be configured. Not to mention that port forwarding (see this definition) is also required to be configured on the client and remote PCs connected router. Finally, this class of remote-access utility requires the end user to install and configure the software on the PC they want to make available for remote servicing. If you're interested in this class of remote-access software, take a look at this older TechBuilder Recipe, Reduce Support Costs With Remote Control Software.

But more recently, a brand new class of remote access tool has emerged. The first example is called LogMeIn Rescue, and it's from 3am Labs. LogMeIn Rescue has been designed to be simple to use, completely manageable, reliable, and secure. Best of all, it requires no prior software installation or configuration on behalf of the end-user. And at $99 a month, it's relatively inexpensive.

Overview of LogMeIn and LogMeIn Rescue from 3amLabs

3am Labs has been offering Web-based remote PC access for some time with a product called LogMeIn. Like other remote access software (such as GotoMyPC from Citrix Systems and Everywhere from Laplink), LogMeIn requires the user to download special software and to do some configuration work (though only for their personal use). For what it is, this freeware utility works very well. (For more on Web-based LogMeIn freeware, see this earlier TechBuilder Recipe Beef Up Tech Support Without Going Broke.)

There is one catch to using the Web-based freeware version of LogMeIn. Unless a customer has already installed the LogMeIn software on their PC, a system builder must walk them through the process of acquiring, installing, and configuring the remote software over the phone. This can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. Alternatively, a system builder could go on-site to actually install the software for the customer; but that defeats the whole stay-at-home point of the tool.

For these reasons, it's good news that 3am Labs has recently released an all-in-one product specifically designed for remote PC repair and support, called LogMeIn Rescue. The product's brand logo is shown here:

LogMeIn Rescue is not free. It starts at just $99 a month, though 3am Labs does offer a free, 14-day trial that has no functionality restrictions. Also, any settings you configure during your trial will carry over if you decide to become a customer. LogMeIn Rescue&'s pricing structure is all-inclusive, so there are no hidden costs or surprises.

The system requirements for LogMeIn Rescue are minimal. Both the technician's and the customer's PCs must run one of the following Microsoft Windows versions: Windows 98, WinME, Win2000, WinXP, or WinServer 2003. And they needn't run the same Windows version, either; for example, the customer's PC could run Win98 while the technician's runs WinXP. Finally, both systems must have a minimum 56Kb connection to the Internet and a Web browser that supports either 128-bit or 256-bit encryption. In other words, LogMeIn Rescue will work with nearly any up-to-date Windows PC. Working with LogMeIn Rescue

For the end user to get started with LogMeIn Rescue, they can simply click on a link sent via e-mail or instant messenger. Or they can log onto the 3am Labs LogMeIn Rescue support site and then enter a six-digit code which that's been assigned to them by the system builder. That&'s it! There's no additional software to install or configure for either the technician or the customer. The entire process usually takes about 30 seconds.

Once you&'ve established control of the end user's PC with LogMeIn Rescue, the similarities to other remote-access software ends. For starters, with LogMeIn Rescue, a technician can instruct the remote PC to reboot and reconnect, or to reboot into Safe Mode and instantly reconnect to the technician. The technician can instruct the remote PC to display system information from running services, processes, device driver information and startup information. There&'s even a tab that displays the event viewer.

The technician can also enter notes and record the history of what was worked on. That way, other technicians working on the same computer in the future can quickly become familiar with its repair history.

The technician can also chat with the user and send files and URLs to the remote PC, all with the click of a single button. Predefined replies can also be configured for chat usage of common responses such as, "Hello my name is [your name here]. How can I help you today?" or "Thank you. Our session is now complete. Goodbye."

Want more? The technician can alo put the remote session on hold and transfer it to another technician, just as you might escalate a support phone call. The LogMeIn Rescue software also contains an active queue of customers waiting for assistance, along with a timer showing how long they have been waiting. The main control panel, called the "Technician Console" in LogMeIn Rescue, is shown here.

Administration Capabilities

With LogMeIn Rescue, you can configure employees into separate "technician" groups and assign calls to a particular person or group. For example, you might have some employees with expertise in networking, others with expertise in printers, and still others with expertise in OS repair. When a call from a customer with a network issue arrives, it can be automatically assigned to either the most appropriate person or a group of employee "technicians" best suited to handle that particular task. You can also assign administrator and master administrator privileges to whomever you choose.

Also available is a customer survey form, which can be presented to the customer once their remote session has ended. E-mail signatures and other LogMeIn Rescue Web pages can be customized with your company logo and information. These Web pages can save you money, as well. For example, they can automate the customer's initial request for support, instead of making them actually call someone. This reduces both the costs of phone operators to direct calls and the number of people required to take calls to schedule repairs.

Security (Non) Issues

You can assure your customers they needn't have security concerns when it comes to your poking around their desktops as you utilize this tool. For starters, an entire remote session can be recorded for monitoring technicians&' actions. This way, the powers that be (the boss, project managers, etc.) can check up on your work.

Further, the customer must approve all support sessions. And once the support session has ended, all access rights to the customer's PC are permanently revoked. Nothing is permanently installed on the customer's PC. A technician cannot access a client's PC unless they are specifically invited by that client.

On the technical side, LogMeIn Rescue doesn't require any extra ports to be opened on a corporate or personal firewall, as it works through the standard HTTP web protocol. A 256-bit SSL encrypted connection is established between the technician and the customer. If the customer's browser does not support 256-bit SSL, it will automatically fall back to a 128-bit SSL encrypted connection. What's Possible with LogMeIn Rescue

One exciting option offered by LogMeIn Rescue is the possibility of expanding the physical range of your system-building business. Many system builders limit themselves to serving clients that are nearby. For them, shipping PCs for repair is too expensive, plus the time needed for repairs and return shipping time means a customer must be without their PC for at least three weeks. Also, if a customer is more than 30 miles away, the cost and time needed to visit is prohibitive.

But now, with the capabilities of LogMeIn Rescue, a system builder can offer repair services well outside their local region, even to a worldwide market. What&'s more, if you&'re a small-business owner and don't wish to expand your office space, the remote capabilities of LogMeIn Rescue could help you hire employees who telecommute from home.

For administrators, LogMeIn Rescue reports, combined with customer feedback, can help you be sure your technicians are doing their jobs. For instance, you can create technician performance reports. These include the number of sessions handled, the breakdown of sessions handled per hour, how long the technician was logged in, even the IP address from which they logged in. These reports also cover the start and end times of each remote session, the tools the technician used during that session, and whether a file was exchanged with the customer. You can even read the chat log.

LogMeIn Rescue's Online Bill Payment Capability

By combining LogMeIn Rescue with an online bill-payment tool from a third party such as PayPal, you can offer support that is fast, accurate, and helpful to the end user. Collecting payments electronically, even before the session begins, means you get paid faster than ever. If for some reason you're unable to solve a problem, with electronic payment, a refund is just a click away.

Also, customers can now call you looking for help with a product they just purchased and can't get to work. Naturally, they don't want to call the hardware manufacturer or vendor for support (or the place where they purchased it), because support calls cost upwards of $35 per incident, regardless of whether the problem is fixed. Also, customers are tired of the all-too-familiar outsourced "technicians" they get on the phone, not to mention hold times that often exceed an hour.

Utilizing LogMeIn Rescue, you can now charge that same $35 the manufacturer gets, or mark it up even more, if you choose. Instead of trying to imagine what the customer is seeing on their screen and explaining to them what ‘right click&' does, now you can fix the problem yourself right before the customer's eyes! This also means faster response times and faster repairs, which should translate into happier customers and a more profitable business.

How I Successfully Deployed LogMeIn Rescue

Using LogMeIn Rescue, I've already started repairing PCs remotely. I have even used the utility to help customers install wired and wireless networks in their homes—equipment they had purchased on their own but couldn&'t get to work.

One satisfied customer reported to me that the technician in his small, central Florida town insisted (wrongly) that Windows 98 and Windows XP could not be networked together. Another shop told him they would need three full days to get a technician to his house.

Working from my office in Phoenix, Arizona, I deployed LogMeIn Rescue to repair and configure this customer's home network in central Florida. In this way, I was able to assign him a router password, change the SSID, enable WEP security, and configure his hard drives and printers so they can be seen and used by other computers on his new, finally-working LAN. I never got out of my chair. Yet more than 2,000 miles away, this customer&'s home LAN is now working perfectly. The cost to my customer? Lower than the cost of a traditional on-site visit.

But wait—as they say on late-night TV—there's more. You can also use LogMeIn Rescue to remotely conduct online sales demos and on-site training. In fact, I'm convinced the capabilities of LogMeIn Rescue are limited only by your imagination and creativity. Stop competing by lowering margins, and start experiencing larger profits by offering unique and profitable services. That's a true recipe for success.

CAREY HOLZMAN is a freelance writer, instructor at Glendale Community College, co-host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show Computer America, owner of a computer-repair business, and author of The Healthy PC and Home Networking: Right the First Time. He has no commercial interest in any product or site mentioned in this TechBuilder Recipe.