Based in Paris, Coheris is a European leader in CRM software, and offers other solutions including business intelligence and collaborative business. The company has more than 1,000 customers worldwide and maintains offices in key cities across Europe.

The Challenge: Improving Customer Support and Avoiding Travel Costs

As a software company, Coheris provides technical support for its products to customers all over the world. Responding quickly and effectively to all assistance requests is a constant objective at Coheris. With Citrix® GoToAssist®, the Coheris technical support team can remotely view and control the customer’s computer within seconds to help him find the solution to his problem. “Our customers really appreciate this process as they usually are looking for quick resolution. This tool allows us to be closer to our customers and understand how they use our products, even though we are far from them. The quality of our work is as high as if we were in their office,” says Amel Bouafia, customer relationship manager at Coheris.

Implementing Citrix GoToAssist

Coheris considered several remote support tools before selecting GoToAssist. A trial period of two weeks allowed Coheris to evaluate the Citrix solution. According to Bouafia, “Citrix GoToAssist stood out from the alternatives because it allows control to be assumed from a distance without the client having to install or configure anything at their end.”

To request an intervention, a customer can contact the technical support department by phone or submit a short GoToAssist request form on a Coheris-branded Web site, which immediately routes to the next available representative. The GoToAssist temporary executable file is downloaded to the customer’s computer with their permission, and a GoToAssist live chat session begins as soon as a technician accepts the request. If necessary, the support representative can quickly escalate from chat into a remote support session to view and share the user’s applications or peripherals. From there, the representative can transfer files and folders, get remote diagnostics on the customer’s PC, reboot the PC and reconnect, transfer the session or even engage in multiple concurrent sessions with other customers.

The session ends with a customer satisfaction survey customized by Coheris to collect specific information from their customers. Individual and team performance reports and real-time monitors are easily accessed by Coheris managers through the online GoToAssist Management Center, making it easy to track the performance of the team.

Providing More Efficient and Higher-quality Customer Service

Citrix GoToAssist is a simple and effective solution that allows Coheris’ technicians to avoid travel while billing for Web connect time plus hourly rates. With remote support, there is rarely a need for an on-site visit, which has virtually eliminated customer disputes about the validity of travel charges. In fact, customers are thrilled that assistance can be provided by Coheris technicians efficiently and quickly, whatever the distance or the country.  

Best of all, the Citrix solution brings Coheris closer to their customers. “This tool has a future for us, insomuch as it is accessible to the whole world,” said Bouafia.

Increasing the Productivity of Sales Teams

After its implementation, GoToAssist received interest from other groups within the company. When sales teams discovered the product, they indicated an occasional need to deliver long-distance interactive product demonstrations, notably for customers located abroad. They were interested in the product’s ability to let the customer view the salesperson’s screen, and vice versa. Fifteen salespeople now use GoToAssist.

Bouafia concluded, “With GoToAssist we have improved the quality of the customer experience. Our users –- technicians and salespeople –- have gained a higher comfort level in their work, increased their productivity and thus provide a better customer service.”

Future Plans

In the future, Coheris plans to use GoToAssist to accelerate deployment and integration of their CRM business solutions, thus optimizing their time and generating additional revenue through value-add services offered remotely to customers.

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