Dell offers remote control tech support

Taking over someone else's computer remotely and making changes to their system is traditionally the preserve of hackers. But no more -- Dell is launching a service for its customers that will involve just that.

Instead of having PC users make calls to support staff over the phone, Dell has launched a new service called DellConnect that will let its support staff take control of a user's PC and solve their technical issues.

Among the computing headaches Dell's on-call techies are expecting to resolve, are installing software drivers and adjusting users' settings.

While some users may have reservations about letting someone else take over their PC, customers will have to expressly give consent for the remote access by entering a code that will expire after a single session.

"You can't go back into a machine in the middle of night when people are in bed -- the access rights won't allow it and obviously we wouldn't do it anyway," said a Dell spokesperson.

DellConnect has already been used by Dell in the US where, it says, 95 per cent of customers say that the system makes solving tech problems easier.

Dell has also bolstered its customer support with a couple of new additions, including Dell Chat, which puts users through to Dell drones, and PC Check-Up, an app which will run a diagnostic check across the customer's desktop.

In related news, a recent Accenture survey found that consumers of digital technology are frustrated with product complexity -- and that services such as set-up support are high on their shopping list when it comes to selecting a brand. Poor customer service was also cited as a leading reason for product and service dissatisfaction.

silicon.com's Natasha Lomas contributed to this story