SupportSpace Corporate Blog

SupportSpace joins the elite at DEMO 08

We at SupportSpace are delighted to be taking part in DEMO 08. DEMO is like no other conference you've attended. It's packed full of live, on-stage demos, in-depth product reviews and thought-provoking analysis from the insiders shaping the future of technology.

The people at DEMO believe that: "Developing an ideal solution often begins simply with looking at an old problem from a different angle. DEMO and its carefully selected demonstrators are masterful at doing just that: re-igniting the proverbial light bulb whenever and wherever a new idea is needed. From silicon to ice cream, DEMO showcases a breadth and depth of innovation that knows no limits".

Yair Grindlinger, SupportSpace CEO, presented his vision at DEMO 08. To see his video presentation, click play.

New Ways to Choose the Expert That’s Right for You

At SupportSpace, we are always looking for ways to improve our customer service and to give our customers the best experience possible. Therefore we are delighted to share the news that the latest enhancements to our service have been launched.   

We have added profile pages for each of SupportSpace’s Tech Experts in an effort to ensure that our customers can choose exactly the right expert for them. The profile pages will give the customer a chance to see a detailed breakdown including:

-      The area of technical ability

-      The level of expertise and number of years in the field

-      Professional certifications

-      Languages spoken

-      Detailed rating and in-depth personal rating system (expert’s courtesy, communication and technical knowledge)

-      Other customers’ reviews and ratings

-      Case history

-      Pricing range

-      Supported services at a fixed price

-      Link to expert’s blog

We have also introduced our very own “Package Deal” with the offer of featured services at a fixed price. These include topics such as: data back-up, spy-ware check, printer set-up and many, many more.

You can also now enjoy your support session by phone. If at any point during the session you feel it would be more beneficial to have a phone conversation as opposed to chat, you can use the Call Request button and your expert will be happy to call you for free.

In answer to several customer requests, we are proud to introduce our page of customer testimonials located at http://marketing.supportspace.com/Testimonials.htm . This is where customers have written recommendations to individual experts according to the service they were given.

We feel sure that the new changes will make choosing the right expert easier and will guarantee quick and efficient results. We have created a bookmark widget for you, which will save your favorite expert details and help you find him again quickly, should the need arise. As ever, service is of the utmost importance to us and in order for us to keep updating and improving our service, you may use the “Tell us what you think” link at the bottom of the chat window to participate in occasional online surveys. The survey is accessible directly through this link: http://survey.supportspace.com/?SurveyId=1

We feel confident that you will enjoy these new improvements at SupportSpace and that this is the way forward for online technical support.

To spread the word and introduce SupportSpace to your friends, use the Invite a Friend button on your Session Page or login to your SupportSpace account and select My Place > Invite a Friend.

New Tools to provide Tech Support on SupportSpace

In line with the launch of our new edition of SupportSpace, we are happy to tell you all about the new tools we have created to help our experts provide even better tech support. These new features take a look at support from the expert’s point of view and include:

2 new tools:

1.    Diagnostic widget which allows the expert to shortcut to all the customer’s computer details. Once the customer gives permission for the expert to access their computer, in literally a matter of seconds, the expert can get a general overview of the computer’s capabilities. This will not only mean that a preliminary diagnosis can be made on the spot, it will direct the expert towards the type of support that can be offered.

2.    The File Manager widget allows the expert to see all files saved on the customer’s hard drive. Again, permission will need to be attained before the expert can access these files, but once this has been given, the expert will be able to export problematic files, work on them on his computer before returning them to the customer in full working order. The expert will also be able to interact between his and the customer’s computer, to import files onto the customer’s computer.

Slight changes to the Session Guidebook enables the expert to write a detailed description of exactly what the job offer includes and the cost to the customer.

We have introduced an extended Expert Store (Profile Page) of the expert to include session history, testimonials, areas of expertise, certification etc.  Now each expert has a permanent link to his page. Don’t hesitate to send it to your customers for future use.

We encourage experts to use the Phone Widget incase the customer doesn’t feel comfortable using the chat window. This version added a “Call Request” button on the customer’s side enabling him to let you know if they wish to be called. 

As ever, service is of the utmost importance and, as we mentioned in our recent blog post about Customer Experience Strategy, we are committed to ensuring that our customers have the best experience possible. It may also be of interest to take a look at this article about online tech support written by Becky Roberts for TechRepublic.

A quick summary of 2007 and hopes for 2008

By Yair Grindlinger, SupportSpace Co-Founder & CEO

2007 was the year SupportSpace transformed from a couple of guys with an idea to a company with an operational service and thousands of users who receive help from hundreds of experts using our proprietary technology platform (not a single SupportSpace session in 2007 was delivered by in-house employees; all were handled by the experts).

Everyday, we get closer to our goal of creating a new standard of tech support. We will start 2008 by introducing a new version of the service, to be launched in 10 days. The new version improves customer experience AND expands the expert’s Support Delivery Platform with more applications and flexibility. With this updated version, customers have better tools to choose the right expert based on their individual needs, and it will allow experts to manage and present their online presence in a much more complete, and personalized way (including the addition of a profile section featuring areas of expertise, tips, relevant background, individual pricing and more). With this new version, we continue to build on our commitment to consistently high quality service and an unmatched customer experience.

In 2008, we will serve three main audiences: Consumers that need help with technology, Experts that want to provide tech support, and Partners, vendors, retailers, ISPs, content sites and others who are looking for ways to provide tech support to their users. We started with the first two audiences, the customers and the experts, and in 2008 we will be expanding our efforts to reach out to high quality partners that share our values and goals.

 

I would like to finish this post by taking the opportunity to thank the thousands of customers who trusted us with their technology needs. SupportSpace is all about helping you enjoy your technology. We also owe a huge thanks to the many experts that work with us 24/7, helping us build on our vision, innovate and QA the platform, resulting in continual improvement and a better customer experience. We very much recognize that our experts are the absolute foundation of SupportSpace, and their passion, knowledge and expertise is the fuel that makes us run.

Finally, I want to thank the SupportSpace team, the most talented group of people I have had the pleasure of working with, who are all committed and passionate about reinventing the whole tech support experience, and making it better than anyone ever thought it could be.

2007 was a very exciting year. 2008 is going to be even better.

SupportSpace expands executive management team by welcoming Cnet and Facebook veterans TEAM

Great news at SupportSpace! Our unique online technical support service can now proudly announce the arrival of two industry experts in the form of Steve Hans and Tom LeNoble. Steve joins us as vice president of marketing, and will assume responsibilities for SupportSpace’s marketing strategy including brand development, customer acquisition, loyalty marketing, corporate communications, public relations, and user experience/product development. Tom joins as chief support officer to ensure the excellence in all aspects of customer and technical support and operations, including our community of experts.

“I am delighted to welcome Steve and Tom to our executive team, and look forward to working closely with them,” said Yair Grindlinger, chief executive officer of SupportSpace. “With their extensive experience in marketing and customer support respectively, they both will be tremendous assets to SupportSpace. Their visions for the company, combined with their well-demonstrated abilities to lead, will truly help strengthen our leadership position.”

Prior to joining SupportSpace, Steve was a vice president at CNET Networks, where he oversaw brand and consumer marketing. Before that, he was the vice president of Brand Marketing at mySimon.com and he has held several executive positions with major global advertising agencies: such as Saatchi and Saatchi, Foote, Cone & Belding, and Bates.

“This is a great opportunity to join a company that is absolutely committed to taking tech support to a completely new level,” said Steve. “SupportSpace has the ability to change the face of tech support by giving people something they never dreamed possible in this category-- namely consumer choice, customization and complete transparency”.

Tom brings more than 20 years of experience in the customer support industry to SupportSpace, as well as a strong background in operations and human resources. He has a track record of building cutting edge service organizations at venture funded startups and in large enterprise environments. Prior to joining Support Space, Tom held senior positions at Facebook, Palm, Wal-Mart, MCI, iPrint.com. and InLeague.

“I am really excited about joining SupportSpace at a time when the company is experiencing rapid growth in its customer base and community of experts,” said Tom. “I am deeply committed to bringing solutions to market that help our customers, experts and partners, all of whom take advantage of SupportSpace’s vision of tech support. I believe the days of customers waiting in queues for a support rep or reading canned emails are soon to be history.”

Customized Online Support Services from SupportSpace Soothes Post Holiday Technology Hangover

After the Holidays, many people spend far too many frustrating hours trying to set up and configure their new computers, gadgets, iPods, iPhones, printers, and digital cameras they received as gifts. The tech experts at SupportSpace, an online service dedicated to providing a new standard of tech support, refer to the month of January 2008 as the technology hangover days. A couple of aspirin and a good night's sleep took care of the eggnog, but what about all those new gadgets you now have to deal with? Quick start guides and manuals are usually the first place consumers turn to when they can't find the on/off button or figure out how to install the batteries. After installing the measly memory card that comes with the camera and using up the few sheets of glossy paper that came with the printer, many people will be online visiting manufacturers' Web sites or user forums researching the 'how-to' sections for hours on end.

So what is the best cure for the nasty post-holiday technology hangover? With tech support from SupportSpace, consumers can directly access the Web's most robust community of independent, certified tech experts to get their holiday tech toys configured and up and running. SupportSpace's post-holiday pep-up includes a free support session for first-time users and future sessions for $24.95, regardless of session length.

"Technology is designed to be consumer-friendly, but that does not mean it is simple or easy for the average consumer to make gadgets work right out of the box," said Yair Grindlinger, Chief Executive Officer of SupportSpace. "There is a much better alternative to waiting in queue at a manufacturer's tech support call center or spending the time and money to have a technician come to your house. SupportSpace gives everyone instant, direct access to tech support professionals who are experts in the specific areas where they might need technical assistance."

According to recent research, laptops and PC sales surged over the holidays, with the industry estimating that over $22 billion was spent on computer-related gifts this season. In addition to games, digital cameras and media players, PC shipments are expected to increase by 16.7% in the fourth quarter alone, impressive when compared to only a 4.2% rise in general retail sales.

This post holiday season, a majority of consumers face a number of challenges whether they are a first-time iPod owner or are upgrading to a new PC. Getting digital cameras and camcorders to work properly, setting up email, and transferring files from an old computer can be overwhelming. Adding to these challenges is Microsoft's new Vista operating system, which could leave some users struggling with compatibility and usability issues. SupportSpace offers a wide range of personalized support services, including installing operating systems, configuring security software and deleting pre-packaged spyware or simply setting up peripherals like printers or scanners.