How to Build Trust in Your Remote Support Marketing

Jun 7, 2021 | Marketing

One thing that can hold people back from using remote support services is that they’re afraid of having someone open a connection to their PC.

They may think, “Is this opening a ‘back door’ that can be used later for stealing my information?” Or… “Are they going to be able to see all my browsing history and personal photos?”

In the case of a business client, they may wonder the same types of things about data security and whether opening a remote portal will somehow leave them at risk, even if it’s not from you, but from a hacker that later finds that portal.

Remote support is only going to grow as a portion of an MSP and IT business owner’s revenue. According to a survey by Gartner, 80% of company leaders plan to allow employees to work remotely at least part-time post-pandemic, and 47% of them plan to enable full-time work-from-home employees.

Tips for Marketing the Safety & Security of Your Remote Support

Marketing your remote support services successfully should include addressing how to let customers know remote support is safe. Getting past this major barrier can keep you from losing potential business and help your company take advantage of the remote working trend.

Highlight the One-Time Connection

You can help alleviate fears that unscrupulous hackers will find your connection “portal” and use it to continue connecting to a PC after the support call by noting how one-time connections work.

When marketing remote support for one-time support calls (not ongoing MSP monitoring) emphasize the “one-and-done” nature of your support software.

When people know that you can only connect one time, unless they give you permission otherwise, it alleviates fears of an ongoing IT security weakness that might cause a breach later.

Use easy-to-understand terms, such as the Time Window. Explain that customers can open up a time window of their choosing for up to 12 hours and that the “portal” closes and can’t be reopened beyond that window.

Address the Remote Support Scam Element

A customer might not come out and say it, but in the back of their mind, they may be wondering about all those “Microsoft support” scams they’ve heard about online. This can cause them to be tentative about contacting you for remote support.

Address the elephant in the room and get it out of the way by including a note on your remote support page that speaks to the differences between your service and those unscrupulous support scams.

Here are some ideas:

• We never call you unsolicited and ask to connect (unlike those scams).
• You can see us in person at our shop, so you know who is assisting you virtually.
• We’ve been a trusted (name of city) fixture for x years (we’re not a stranger).

Promote the Security In Common Terms

It’s important to not just say that you use 256-bit SSL encryption but to explain what that means beyond the “techie term” that a layperson may not know.

For example, you might say, “Our remote support connections use 256-bit SSL encryption, which is one of the most secure encryption methods used worldwide. Hackers would need to guess 256 separate bits of information to try to crack the encryption. According to experts, that would take millions of years to hack.”

Now, you’ve translated the encryption standard into common terms that everyone can understand. Their takeaway is that your remote support can’t be hacked unless a hacker has a few million years to try.

Include Social Proof

No matter what you’re selling, social proof is important. This means having testimonials and quotes from other customers.

78% of people trust online reviews as much as they do a personal recommendation from friends or family. So, adding a quote from a few other customers about how great your remote support is, can make someone else feel better about using it (e.g., “If that accounting firm is okay using their remote support, then I guess it really is secure.”)

Mention Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Another security protocol you want to highlight is multi-factor authentication. If you’re using a tool like Instant Housecall with MFA support, it goes a long way towards alleviating any security concerns about a hacker being able to somehow exploit the remote connection.

Go beyond just saying you use MFA and explain what that means:

“Technicians need to enter a code that is sent only to our company cell numbers before they can log in. This keeps hackers from accessing remote support connections because they don’t have access to the MFA code.”

Use a Remote Support Software With Rock-Solid Security

Instant Housecall remote support software incorporates multiple security standards you can market to your customers, including a time window, 256-bit encryption, and MFA.

Try Instant Housecall risk-free for 15 days and experience it for yourself! 

5 Best Practices for a Smooth Remote Support Experience

May 17, 2021 | Marketing

In the last 12+ months, remote support has been elevated to a whole new level of importance. The pandemic forced everyone indoors and transformed corporate offices into ghost towns, while employees all worked remotely.

During this time, remote support was often the only way anyone could get hands-on computer assistance.

Some MSPs and IT business owners were prepared for the increase in remote support requests, others weren’t. Those that didn’t do much remote login work, found that they needed to become an expert fast to survive and continue providing vital IT support services to clients.

And it doesn’t look like the newly remote workforce is going anywhere anytime soon (or ever). 67% of businesses say they expect their work-from-home policies to remain in place for the long-term or permanently.

This means that remote support for remote teams will continue to be a need that many businesses have and one that can be one of the main revenue drivers for IT businesses.

Best Practices to Follow for a Great Remote Support Experience

When providing remote support, it’s important to have things go as smoothly as possible so the work is time-efficient for you and a good experience for your customers.

Have a System in Place for a Fast Response

Remember how automotive shops used to advertise the “30-minute oil change?” Now it’s the “10-minute oil change!” People expect support services fast these days and despite having tons of technology tools to make life easier, they seem busier than ever.

When customers request a remote support session, they will expect it to happen fast. In minutes, not hours.

You must respond quickly, otherwise, you can end up losing that customer to a competitor.

Using remote software, like Instant Housecall can allow you to handle more than one support request at a time. Technicians can connect to as many as 10 customer computers concurrently, allowing faster response time without needing to hire additional staff.

Implement & Advertise End-User Privacy & Security

People are generally very aware that anything they do online can put their information at risk. Allowing someone to connect to their computer can leave everything they have on that hard drive exposed, so it takes a lot of trust on a customer’s part.

It’s important to have strong end-user privacy and security systems in place to reduce the risk of a breach of sensitive customer data and to reassure your client that their remote session will be safe.

Some of the standard security practices to have in place are:

• Notification to users before accessing their system
• A disconnection when work is complete, and the inability to reconnect without permission.
• Use multi-factor authentication to secure your remote support account.
• 256-bit SSL encryption to keep data secured

Make sure you’re marketing your remote support services while placing an emphasis on privacy and security.

Chat with Clients While Connected

As a small business owner, you know that there are all types of customers. Some will want you to “just fix it” and they don’t have time to know what you did. Others, want to know all the details and exactly what you are doing to fix a problem.

Having a remote session chat that allows you to connect with the customer directly while you’re attending to their system is important. It allows you to gather more information about the person’s needs and you can also explain what you’re doing to those people interested in knowing more.

A session chat with your remote software also allows you an important audit trail to refer to later if needed.

Unattended Access & Reboot Ability

If you’re using an older remote connection system, you could end up having to call a user that’s stepped away from their computer because the system has disconnected, rebooted, or otherwise locked you out.

This can be a real inconvenience for both you and the customer, and it makes a remote support session take much longer than it needs to.

You want to make sure to use software that gives you the ability to reboot a customer’s computer, even in safe mode, and connect automatically when the PC boots back up. For those customers that have given you unattended permission, you also want to have the ability for unattended access. This provides a level of convenience to customers that can help you stand out over your competition.

Keep an Audit Trail of Everything You Did

Even if you’re connecting remotely and the customer isn’t present, it’s important that you keep a detailed audit trail of all the actions that you took. This can then be emailed to the customer after the session is complete, so they are fully informed of what you did to solve an issue.

This is also an important cover for you should something else unrelated go wrong with their computer later. You’ll have the paper trail to show exactly what you touched and what you didn’t touch.

Try a Remote Support Software With Best Practices Built In

Instant Housecall is a powerful yet easy-to-use remote support software that has multiple best practices built right in for security, multiple connections, and much more.

Try Instant Housecall risk-free for 15 days and experience it for yourself!