Working from a home office can offer increased comfort, privacy and flexibility, but when technology issues arise you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed. Without an in-house IT department to come to your aid, it’s easy to panic and be unsure of how to resolve the issue on your own. According to a survey by the National Small Business Association, 48% of small business owners handle their tech support themselves. However, doing so can result in lost productivity and unnecessary stress. The good news: Dell offers professional IT support services that can rapidly respond to your needs so you can focus more time on your business. Read on to learn more so you can decide if Dell’s IT support services are right for you.
ProSupport
We all know the panicked feeling we experience when we suddenly realize our computer is malfunctioning. Dell’s ProSupport service can be your lifeline when it comes to dealing with IT issues on your laptop or Desktop. “ProSupport is our North American-based support for client systems and offers 24/7 assistance anytime, anywhere,” said Russell White, Dell’s North American Small Business Services Sales Manager. “It really comes in handy for businesses working remotely because we can handle the majority of issues with remote diagnostics, meaning we can log into your system remotely and determine if it’s a hardware or software issue.”
For software issues, a Dell expert can speak with you on the phone to troubleshoot the problem until it is resolved. For hardware issues, Dell can send you replacement parts in the mail for next-business-day delivery. Dell will also arrange for a technician to visit your location soon after the parts arrive to handle the repair, whether you’re working at home or from the office. If you’re not comfortable with someone coming into your home, Dell offers an alternative solution. “We’ll send you a prelabeled box to mail the piece of equipment to one of our advanced resolution centers,” said White. “Once it’s repaired, we’ll send it back to you.”
Customers can also purchase ProSupport to cover monitors, which is available as an additional service. It includes 24/7 phone support as well as remote configuration, interoperability and software support with next-business-day replacement if the monitor malfunctions. Docking stations are not covered under ProSupport but come with a 12-month advanced exchange service with the option to extend at the point of sale. “If you think your dock is malfunctioning, we will troubleshoot the dock and if it’s determined to be faulty we’ll set up the exchange,” said White.
ProSupport Plus
ProSupport also comes in a higher-tier version called ProSupport Plus, which offers additional features for a premium level of support. “ProSupport Plus also offers 24/7 tech support, next-business-day replacement of parts and on-site hardware repair, but what separates it are a couple of key items,” said White. For instance, ProSupport Plus covers accidental damage, so if you spill coffee on your laptop or your child knocks over your computer while running around the house, you can get your PC repaired or replaced. ProSupport Plus can also proactively monitor your system and predict if issues will arise before they happen using AI with a technology called SupportAssist. Once an issue is detected, Dell will reach out to the customer to let them know, instead of requiring the customer to report an issue first. Dell will then resolve the issue quickly. “For instance, SupportAssist can pick up if your hardware might fail in the next week or two,” said White. “In that scenario, we’d proactively reach out to the customer, recommend they back up their hard drive today and send them a new hard drive before the failure even occurs.”
When you are ready for installation, Dell can send an expert to your home and the homes of your employees to set up your equipment and make sure everything runs smoothly.
Deployment services
If the idea of setting up your own computer system sounds daunting, Dell’s ProDeploy service can help. Dell can handle all aspects of deployment including planning, configuration, installation and knowledge transfer, which can save you time and help avoid common mistakes.
On day one, you’ll get an engagement manager who will be your single point of contact. You’ll also be able to direct every aspect of your deployment project via the TechDirect portal. “TechDirect allows you to be in control of your deployment experience,” said White. “This tool provides a portal for you to tell us how you want your PCs built in the factory and deployed on location.” Your engagement manager will monitor your TechDirect activity and coordinate Dell resources to follow the direction you provide. You can also reach out to your engagement manager at any time throughout the project if you prefer to have a direct conversation.
When you are ready for installation, Dell can send an expert to your home and the homes of your employees to set up your equipment and make sure everything runs smoothly. You can arrange to have systems installed at any time, including after business hours or on weekends to prevent any disruptions in business activity. Dell can communicate with you and your employees individually to set up a time that works for each person’s schedule.
“ProDeploy takes you from factory integration to physical stand-up and setup of the equipment,” said White. “We’ll make sure that your computers are going to connect to the network and all of the software you need is installed.”
Ready to get started?
Dell’s IT support services will ensure you never have to feel alone when dealing with technology issues again. If you need more help choosing which option is right for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to your small business advisor for additional guidance.
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