Tech Support: Roll the Web Cams, not the Trucks

Exactly how cheap are Web cameras these days? Pretty darn.

So why not give one to every client as a lovely parting gift? It’s the perfect tool for remote troubleshooting, suggests Robert Durbin, technical training manager for URC.

Back in his integrator days, Durbin would leave wireless cams with customers so they could show him what was wrong rather than try to describe it. Durbin himself could better explain how clients could fix their own problems, avoiding such dialogs as:

See the receiver?
There’s 10 black boxes in the rack. Which one is the receiver?
I don’t have the diagrams with me. Look for a box that says Denon.
I don’t see Denon. There’s Crestron and ReQuest and Tivo and Onkyo …
Yeah, Onkyo, that’s it. Now, locate the HDMI cable.
What does an HDMI cable look like?
It has sort of a flat connector on it, like a USB.
I can’t see the connector if it’s plugged in. And all the cables are so crowded in there. What color is the cable itself?
That would be black. …

And so on and so on.

How much easier would it be for the integrator to say, “Pan down your rack with the camera … stop. The third box down -- it says Onkyo. See the second cable from the left? Unplug it. Now plug it back in ….”

Durbin notes:

Today, most every home has a wireless network. And cameras cost less than your time is worth. Do the math: You may realize that it’s more sensible to leave a wireless camera on the jobsite during the client’s “learning period” (i.e., the first 30 to 60 days) in order to improve the customers’ experience. Or better yet, you can create a whole new revenue stream by including a camera as part of your extended service package for a small additional charge.

Sure, you can’t be everywhere at once. But use this simple technology, and you can come close.

Given that this little tip comes from URC, should we presume the maker of universal remotes, whole-house controls and lighting controls will be launching a line of Web cams?

“No comment,” says marketing director Jon Sienkewicz.