RESCUECOM Computer Support Focus of Stamford Advocate Article

Rescuecom staff might not have the fancy cars that other computer service franchisees drive around in, but Josh Kaplan says it's the technicians -- not the transportation -- that counts.

Kaplan is the franchise owner of Rescuecom's Greenwich territory for the national company, which is based in Syracuse, N.Y."We really focus more on the presentation of our technicians than the gimmicks. We're more concerned with our customer service than showing up in a pretty car," said Kaplan, 28.

Rescuecom serves residential and office clients ranging from home-based businesses to large corporations. The company offers on-site computer repair, maintenance and problem-solving, and guarantees to show up within one hour on an emergency call.

It has about 600 technicians nationwide who can consult if the problem is unfamiliar to the local technician. If the same problem occurs again, Rescuecom will fix it for free.

The company's regular rate for service is $109 an hour, with an emergency rate about twice that. Word-of-mouth and search engine placement are how most customers find out about Rescuecom, Kaplan said.

Besides hard drive crashes, common service calls can include requests for setting up wireless networks to synchronizing iPods. Kaplan said most first-time business is residential, but business calls are frequent. Rescuecom generally maintains ongoing relationships with its business clients. In some cases, Kaplan and his technicians may work with a company's information technology staff.

"In some businesses, there are one or two IT staff, and what do you do when something happens when they're not there? Especially with how fast technology is going, it may be hard for them to keep up with all the changes. We get calls for implementation, security evaluation and data recovery," Kaplan said.

Because Rescuecom is a national company, Kaplan says the recruiting process is stringent. Prospective technicians go through several interviews, on the phone and in person, and go out on training calls for a few weeks before they can fly solo.

Kaplan and three other local technicians serve the Greenwich area. He also owns two territories in New York, two in New Jersey, one in Arizona and one in Texas.

"My first was in New Jersey, and I had one in Manhattan. Some of the people I worked for in New York lived in Greenwich, Stamford and Westport. So I saw an opportunity to work for them here," the Bloomfield, N.J., resident said.

Kaplan had a computer background before Rescuecom, working as a technician for Winthrop Stimson Putnam and Roberts, a New York City law firm. He also was a help desk technician for Patient Care before getting involved with Rescuecom.

Bob Cohen, senior vice president of communication for the Information Technology Association of America in Arlington, Va., said the IT industry welcomes franchise computer support-related services.

"This is also a business that doesn't require much capital, and there's a market that needs this type of service," Cohen said.

Cohen said computer support franchises are a great way for small businesses to have access to the type of service that large corporations enjoy.

Like Kaplan, Cohen isn't into fancy cars. Experience and good references are better measures of a technological company's abilities, he said.

Businesses are more concerned with the performance of a provider than seeing an "automobile with some brand association," Cohen said.

"I think people want to know that you've done a similar project and succeeded, that you've built a portfolio, that you're on time and within a budget -- that's what builds your business," he said.

Copyright 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc.