Based in Bedford, Massachusetts, PlumChoice Online PC Services offers computer diagnosis, training and repair services provided by a virtual support centre operation.

Technical support agents serve consumers and the small office/home office (SOHO) market across the United States. PlumChoice has also established partnerships with major retail outlets such as Circuit City, which began offering the PlumChoice service to customers via its website and at selected stores in December 2005.

The Challenge: Providing a new service option
When CEO Ted Werth founded PlumChoice in 2001, his goal was to provide a distinctive, low-cost, convenient technical support offering to help small business with their various technology issues.

“At the time, home office and small businesses were pretty much limited to phone-based support or in-home service calls,” Werth recalled. “Both have drawbacks. Trying to describe a technical issue over the phone can be difficult, especially for people who aren’t very computer-savvy. And waiting for a service call — or letting a stranger into your house — can be a concern.”

Werth decided PlumChoice would differentiate itself by offering online computer support and services.

“We wanted to expand remote desktop support from the enterprise to the home office and give the small office/home office market a great experience — fast, convenient, easy to use and effective. We just needed the right remote support technology.”

Choosing the best platform
After evaluating a number of free and fee-based services, PlumChoice’s team selected the Citrix GoToAssist web-based support service, which allows support staff to remotely view what the customer sees, chat with users in real time, guide them through a software installation, or even take control — with permission — of the mouse and keyboard to resolve a problem.

“We conducted an exhaustive search for a system that was easy to install, provided excellent performance and security, and would allow our representatives to work from anywhere. Citrix GoToAssist met all these criteria," Werth said.

"Plus, its agent-centric licensing model made the best economic sense for our business and free implementation services made incorporating the technology into our website painless.”

Standing out from the competition
The remote desktop support model enabled by GoToAssist has allowed PlumChoice to set itself apart from the competition, not only winning more than 20,000 customers to date, but also attracting attention from large organisations like Circuit City that want to augment or replace phone-based and in-home support services.

“With GoToAssist, we can run circles around in-home and traditional phone support,” said Werth. “Our service is like having a support representative sitting next to you—but without having to let a stranger into your house.”

Not only do PlumChoice support personnel assist with PC setup and troubleshooting, including installation of software, resolution of security issues and data backups, they also help install peripherals such as MP3 players, wireless networks and digital cameras.

The growing popularity of these devices - and users’ need for help setting up and using them - has created new opportunities for PlumChoice.

Giving Circuit City customers a new support option
Circuit City Stores, Inc. is now offering PlumChoice Online PC Services through its website and in select stores, enabling customers to receive technical support for their PCs or other technical devices from the comfort of their home without the need for a service call. With various fee options available, PlumChoice can help Circuit City customers set up an MP3 player or wireless network, or remove spyware and viruses. Customers also get training by watching the technician and discussing the process; for example, the MP3 service includes demonstrating features such as downloading music, burning CDs and setting up a music library.

Achieving high customer satisfaction
As evidenced by exceptionally high satisfaction ratings, PlumChoice’s service is appreciated by customers. “We offer consumers and small business a simple, convenient, secure support option and they love it—we have an unheard of 94 percent satisfaction score,” Werth explained. Customers value the seamless user experience. Also, they are reassured by the high degree of security provided by GoToAssist’s end-to-end encrypted connection and their ability to grant or deny remote access to their system.

Building a world-class virtual call centre
With GoToAssist, PlumChoice agents are equipped with a complete suite of on-board support tools, enabling them to quickly get into session using chat, as well as pre-scripted text messages and URLs. To further diagnose and troubleshoot issues, agents can view or control the customer’s PC, collect complete system diagnostics in seconds, install software or patches, or transfer sessions to another agent with specific expertise.

While helping PlumChoice please its customers, Citrix GoToAssist enables the company to attract and retain technical support staff. Most PlumChoice agents are based out of their homes, improving work/life balance and allowing the company to create a flexible, virtual call centre that can be scaled to meet growing business demands. The GoToAssist Management Center allows the company to monitor the live activity of this virtual team and improve processes. Features include post-session customer surveys, centrally stored session recordings, agent- and session-specific reports and summary reports compiling data such as time in queue, call resolution status, resolution time and satisfaction metrics.

Further, Citrix’s agent-centric flat-fee licensing and ability to connect easily with unknown systems outside the firewall support PlumChoice’s business model, which focuses on helping a high volume of customers - typically on a one-time basis. Licensing per seat per month vs. having to install software on a customer’s computer allows PlumChoice to cost-effectively assist the largest number of people.

“Citrix GoToAssist is a great product that is helping us achieve our goals. Backed by excellent customer service from Citrix, GoToAssist is allowing us to break new ground in technical support for consumers and home-based businesses,” Werth concluded.

To learn more about PlumChoice Online PC Services, or to take a Test Drive, visit www.plumchoice.com.

For more information
Phone: 0800 42 4874
GoToAssist

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