Why Average Resolution Time Still Matters
How long do your remote support sessions take?
Average resolution time is a core metric for IT support and for meeting service-level agreements (SLAs). There’s a clear correlation between resolution time and user satisfaction: the longer it takes a customer to get the support they need, the more frustrated they become.
However, remote and hybrid work have made it harder to control resolution times. Technical issues, manual support, and more can extend support sessions far longer than they should be, leading to longer time to resolution, more frustrated customers, and less time for IT agents.
Fortunately, there is a solution. With the right remote support software and automation tools, you can significantly reduce resolution time without sacrificing security or quality. Let’s explore…
What Slows Down Ticket Resolution
Each of these factors can increase the average resolution time by slowing down users and IT agents, complicating the support process, and adding unnecessary steps that worsen support for everyone.
1. Delays in Connecting to the User
IT agents must find a way to connect to the user for troubleshooting and maintenance, which requires specialized tools. If their remote support tools are clunky or unintuitive, agents will waste time coordinating with the end user, sharing links, downloading software, troubleshooting access issues, and more.
2. Manual Support Steps
IT support often requires a few repetitive tasks before the support can truly begin. While these processes are essential, doing them manually is a time sink and can be frustrating for both the agent and user. Automating access, session setup, and repeatable support steps can accelerate the process and make for a smoother, faster experience.
3. Tool Switching and Context Loss
When IT agents have to use multiple, disconnected ticketing systems and support tools, switching between them can add friction and complicate the support process. These disparate systems don’t share information or context, so agents must enter the same information into each system as they switch between tools, which can be time-consuming and inefficient.
4. Waiting for User Availability
Remote support doesn’t always require the customer to be present. Sometimes IT staff can troubleshoot and manage devices on their own, but still need to wait for user availability to grant them permission. Providing unattended access options can make it easier for IT agents to manage servers and other remote devices even when no users are present, saving time and improving efficiency.
Why Manual Remote Support Does Not Scale
Before automation tools, IT agents had to manually support every device. However, as businesses grew larger, their IT requirements grew exponentially, making it nigh impossible to scale their remote support teams to keep up with demand.
There are several factors behind this scaling difficulty, including:
Repetitive tasks: When technicians repeat the same setup steps for every ticket, they add extra time to each ticket. This repetition can also be frustrating and demotivating for IT agents, making automation a welcome relief.
User availability: When IT agents only have attended remote access, their ability to resolve issues depends heavily on user participation. If a user is unavailable, they’ll have to wait until later to help.
Inconsistent processes: Without automation, support processes will often vary by technician. This can create an inconsistent experience and complicate reporting and analytics.
Limited availability: Without unattended access and automated support, IT agents' ability to resolve issues outside business hours is severely limited.
What Remote Support Automation Should Do
Each of these problems can be resolved with the right automation tools. Remote support automation can help users receive help when they need it, assist IT agents during the support process, and streamline those time-consuming manual tasks, as long as the solution has the right features.
Remote support automation should:
Reduce time to first connection by streamlining the support process and enabling more immediate assistance.
Eliminate repetitive setup tasks by automating basic processes that would normally require manual input.
Enable unattended access where appropriate so issues can be resolved without waiting for user availability.
Integrate directly into ticketing workflows for session launch and session logging, reducing manual context switching.
Maintain security and auditability to ensure each remote session is secure and that the organization meets its IT compliance requirements.
Remote support automation does not eliminate complexity entirely. Instead, it removes friction from repetitive steps like access coordination, session setup, and documentation, allowing IT teams to spend more time resolving issues rather than managing the support process itself.
How Splashtop Enables Faster Resolution Through Automation
When you need automation, security, and availability for your remote support solution, Splashtop is the answer. Splashtop’s remote IT support software empowers IT agents to support users from anywhere, on any device, with ease and efficiency.
Splashtop is made for seamless, efficient remote support, including automation, integrations, and both attended and unattended access. It enables IT agents to use their devices of choice and work from anywhere, while efficiently supporting remote endpoints, BYOD devices, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, and more.
With Splashtop, you’ll get:
1. Fast Session Initiation With Minimal User Steps
Splashtop is designed for quick, low-friction remote access. Customers can start remote sessions with just a code, so IT agents can seamlessly connect and provide support without delay. This reduces time wasted setting up remote support and eliminates the need for clunky, time-consuming downloads and permission settings.
2. Secure Unattended Access for Faster Fixes
IT agents can support remote endpoints configured for unattended access to provide after-hours support or manage devices when no employees are available. This eliminates the need to wait for user availability while empowering agents to manage IoT devices, remote servers, and other endpoints where end users might not be around.
3. Integration With Ticketing Systems
By integrating with ticketing systems, Splashtop allows agents to launch remote support sessions, assist end users, and log sessions from a single interface. This removes the need to switch between applications and maintains context across everything, improving efficiency and eliminating a time-consuming manual task.
Remote support automation is most effective when it complements existing ticketing and IT service management tools rather than replacing them. By embedding remote access and session logging directly into ticket workflows, Splashtop helps teams move faster without disrupting established processes or reporting structures.
4. Cross-Platform Support From a Single Tool
Splashtop works across devices and operating systems, making it easy to support end users regardless of the devices the customer and IT agent use. This makes it easier for agents to work from anywhere, on any device, while still supporting all end users, and reduces the need for training and troubleshooting across different devices.
Step-by-Step: Reducing Resolution Time With Remote Support Automation
When you want to improve your average resolution time, remote support automation gives your IT teams the tools and efficiency boost they need to support more end users in less time. When deploying automation, follow these simple steps to help ensure a smooth and effective process:
Identify ticket types with the longest resolution times so you can focus your efforts accordingly.
Install Splashtop on your IT agents’ devices and ensure they’re trained on how to use it, including standardized remote support workflows for common issues.
Enable unattended access on company devices that require it for repeat or maintenance tasks, such as servers and IoT devices.
Integrate Splashtop into your ticketing system to launch remote sessions from tickets.
From there, you can use Splashtop to streamline and automate parts of the support process, such as session initiation, access workflows, and session logging, to improve the remote support experience and resolution times. Splashtop’s admin dashboard provides session visibility and activity data that can be used alongside ticketing metrics to analyze resolution times.
Real-World Improvements of Remote Support Automation
Once you’ve implemented remote support automation, what kind of improvements can you expect to see? There are several benefits to remote support with automation, which include:
Faster time to first response: Automation reduces the time spent on repetitive manual tasks, enabling IT agents to assist end users more quickly.
Shorter average resolution time: Remote support automation enables agents to assist users more efficiently on every call, leading to faster resolutions and more efficient support.
Fewer escalations: The improved efficiency of automation helps IT agents provide better support on the first call, reducing the need to escalate the issue.
Higher technician productivity: Improving the speed and efficiency of IT support gives agents more time to focus on their tasks, boosting overall efficiency for all technicians.
Improved user satisfaction: Faster, more efficient resolutions lead to happier customers, improving user satisfaction across the board.
Security and Compliance Considerations
Improving resolution time shouldn’t come at the cost of security or IT compliance. Cybersecurity is a concern across all industries, and companies considering remote support and automation may have reasonable concerns about the security of their solutions.
Fortunately, with a solution like Splashtop, you can enable remote support from anywhere without compromising cybersecurity. Splashtop is built with security in mind, and includes security features like:
Encrypted remote sessions: Each session is protected with end-to-end encryption, ensuring the stream remains safe in transit.
RBAC: Splashtop restricts access with zero trust access principles and role-based access controls, keeping unauthorized users out and ensuring only authorized, authenticated users can connect.
Session logging for accountability: Each remote session is automatically logged, keeping clear records of who connected to what device and when. This provides accountability and helps identify suspicious behavior, ensuring oversight of each session.
Audit-friendly records tied to tickets: Splashtop’s remote support automation tools automatically log sessions on tickets, providing clear audit records and oversight.
These features help Splashtop meet a wide array of security regulations and requirements, including GDPR, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2, and more.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When you utilize automation to improve your remote customer support and resolution times, you’ll want to watch out for a few common mistakes. While they may seem minor, these missteps can have far-reaching consequences that undo the benefits of remote support automation, so organizations should take care to avoid them.
Common mistakes include:
Automating without standardizing workflows results in inconsistent support and unreliable automation.
Relying solely on attended support means IT agents won’t be able to assist end users after hours or manage devices without users present to grant access.
Adding automation without integration minimizes its benefits, as it limits and restricts the impact of the automation tools.
Ignoring the user experience can result in frustrated or confused end users, decreasing satisfaction despite the improved efficiency of automation.
Measuring effort rather than outcomes focuses on the wrong metrics, since time spent does not always translate into positive outcomes. Focus on the results, not the effort.
Faster Resolution Without More Effort
When you need to improve your average resolution time, the best way to help IT departments and end users is to remove friction from your support workflows. The easier it is for IT agents to do their jobs, the better they’ll be able to support users.
With Splashtop's remote support automation, your IT agents can deliver faster support, efficiently assist more users, and consistently achieve positive outcomes at scale. Automation removes the repetitive manual tasks that turn support into a slog, while empowering IT agents to help end users more efficiently from the first call, keeping customers happy and calls short.
Ready to reduce your average resolution time with remote support automation? Get started with Splashtop today with a free trial.
