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24/7 Live Tech Support

  • 27 October 2012
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Userlevel 6
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How about 24/7 live tech support?  This company is going to grow like wildfire, so we should put 24/7 live tech support in place.
 
So far, I have found live tech support to be very helpful, although is seems like things are happening so quickly with this product that it's a learning process for everyone, including the tech reps.
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Best answer by MikeR 29 October 2012, 18:08

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Userlevel 7
Through our Ticket Support System we have full coverage and as the demand increases I think having 24/7 phone support would be helpful as well.
Userlevel 6
Mike, the Ticket Support System, while OK, doesn't really cut it.  The best help you can get is to have a tech guy take over your computer and show you, step by step, how to correct a problem.  Only live tech support can do that.  From my experience, you have a pretty decent system in place to do that -- the only problem is it's not 24/7.
Userlevel 7
Through the ticket system (which is 24/7), our technicians often solve issues by remoting into the computer in question. Our Community and phone support is not 24/7 and I understand the limitations you are referring to. We may see changes to this in the future, but for now, we thankfully have some amazing fans here on the Community to help out when we are away. 😃
Userlevel 6
@ wrote:
Through the ticket system (which is 24/7), our technicians often solve issues by remoting into the computer in question.
That's interesting.  I thought you needed access permission to do that, along with a pin code.  Do you acquire that access permission and provide that pin code via the ticketing system?
Userlevel 7
Phone numbers are provided by the customer and they are reached out to by the technicians.  Techs can still exchange information to establish the remote session through the ticket system.
Userlevel 6
OK, Mike, that's good to know.  Thanks.
Userlevel 7
As a Fun Fact addition to this thread...
For a time, we had 24/7 phone support.  Unfortunately, on the off-periods (Nights and Weekends) we had a whopping average of about .5 calls per hour, but usually all eight hours worth came in all at one random time.  So we ended up with being overstaffed for the majority of the shift, and understaffed for a one-hour period with no definition or pattern as to when.  Not even the best call-system resource management people could find any rhyme or reason to the pattern of off-hour calls.  Since we staff internally instead of sending people to a shared-resource call center in who-knows-where, this made it a mess to say the least. 
 
We've found since that most (not all, but most) customers prefer the support ticketing system as the initial contact and the ability to have a tech contact them via the ticketing system and outbound call when needed.  So we've stuck with that.  One of the biggest benefits is that it allows techs to handle things much more efficiently, which means we can apply more resources to threat research and keeping things running smoothly as opposed to resources toward fixing problems. 
 
We just have a bad habit of fixing any problems so fast that we don't get a lot of the same calls, so our total support request volume is handled by a number of agents in the dozens, not in the hundreds or thousands.
Userlevel 6
The problem's not solved, just side-stepped.
 
I am not a big fan of the ticketing system.  I prefer live tech support with the option for remote access.  Live tech support/remote access provides a learning experience for me and allows me to take notes on a particular repair process so that I know how to do it the next time the same or a similar problem occurs.  A typical example is my Adobe Acrobat Pro software repeatedly failing and disallowing me to convert a Word Doc to a pdf.  After a hands-on session with Adobe tech coupled with remote access, I now know two or three different ways to repair the problem, without the need to contact Adobe tech support yet again.
 
I get the feeling Webroot’s ticketing system is designed to discourage live support/remote access.  Just a feeling, with nothing more concrete to prove it.  I don’t think it’s a good substitute for the more tried and true method of live tech support/remote access.
 
As for the second half of the live tech support 24/7 equation, to wit, “24/7,” I think Webroot will grow to the point where it will need it.  Maybe not now, but I think there will come a time when it will.  I tend to make most of my tech support calls at night because it does not interfere with my daily activities, and some of these tech support calls can be lengthy and involved.  I don’t think I’m unique in this respect.  The fact that Webroot experienced low user volume at night when it employed “24/7” may have been attributable to the fact that few subscribers were aware of it. Just a guess on my part.
 
The other day I called live tech support and was placed on hold for forty minutes before I was connected.  That is unacceptable.  I was having problems backing up my PC.  After a forty minute wait, the tech representative basically told me to “read the manual” and discouraged remote access.  I don’t think this is the right approach from tech support.
 
Which brings up another point:  if lengthy delays connecting with a tech representative is the norm rather than the exception, I'd encourage the use of a messaging system that prompts the subscriber to leave a name and phone number and expect a call back, rather than being placed on interminable hold.
 
One final suggestion: let the subscriber select a password to log in to tech support.  Right now, I have to work with an assigned password.  I have enough passwords I have to remember to be bothered with yet another one.
 
Just my two cents.
Userlevel 7
By problems, I mean things that would cause people to need to call.  We want to have a properly working product with all the information somebody could possibly want available easily.
 
We will definitely take the ideas and requests into account and consider them in the balance of support provisioning.  For greater visibility, you may want to split them into separate individual parts as neutral ideas and cause and post them in the Ideas Exchange, where people can indicate their interest in them.
 
Edit: Removed section that referred to removed portion of replied-to post.
Userlevel 7
Badge +6
I talked to someone in the Australia office off-hours a week ago...
 
Also, I'd be happy to call in off-hours and ask endless questions if it helps. 🙂
Userlevel 6
I have been harping on Webroot to do away with the ticketing system and go with Live Tech Support/Remote Access on a 24/7 basis.  I think your ticketing system is too slow and cumbersome.  Live Tech Support/Remote Access on a 24/7 basis is a much better system. JMHO.
 
Come on, go with Live Tech Support/Remore Access 24/7:  hire the staff, put on some tech reps at night and on the weekends, and lose the ticketing system!
 
*moved post to existing thread
There isn't a need for multiple threads by the same poster on the same issue.  A suggestion was provided in this thread earlier. - admin
Userlevel 7
Badge +6
Webroot's current ticketing system is definitely clumsy for users who track multiple issues like large business customers. But the approach is not without merit, it's a good way to keep everyone who works with a user on the same page information-wise.
 
Webroot should definitely look into a "Live Support Channel" when a customer has a live, active virus issue. Waiting for a callback isn't fun, even if they're fast about it.
 
However, Webroot's support personnel are pretty adept at it and their quality outshine the problems with it in my experience. I make extensive use of the "Subject" line with RE: when I'm updating an existing issue. It has worked very well for me.
 
the wait time is way to long, i waited for 25 minutes then got disconnected so i am waiting just got hung up on again when it said all reps are busy 
 
what is the security code im getting errorucr2
Userlevel 7
Hi christine39
 
Welcome to the Community Forums.
 
I assume that you are referring to "Error(UCR702):Incorrect security code credentials" issued in response to the following request "Please enter the ????? and ????? characters of your Security Code" where ????? is a number?
 
If that is the case then you need to check c arefully as to what your Security Code and make sure that the characters entered correspond to the positions in the Security Code denoted by the numbers requestions...and do remember that the characters are case sensitive so if you set your Security Code with a capital letter as the first letter then it must be entered in capital format for it to be valid when requested.
 
Hope that helps?  Please come back if yo uhave any further questions or need further help.
 
Regards, Baldrick

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