Rescuecom
RESCUECOM corporation is an American franchised computer services company. They utilize a nationwide network of computer technicians and a Syracuse, NY based call center to assist both businesses and home users with on-site and remote technical support. Since 1997, RESCUECOM has grown exponentially into a major player in the tech support market. They have been recognized as a Franchise 500 company by Entrepreneur Magazine in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and were ranked at #213 in 2007.
RESCUECOM’s slogan, “Fast and Flawless, 24/7”, is a brand promise that claims prompt and successful service at any given time of any given day. They also have a “We Fix It or It’s Free” guarantee claiming that if a technician cannot fix the problem as it was initially diagnosed, then there is no fee for the service call.
History
RESCUECOM was founded by David A. Milman in 1997. Milman owned and operated several tech support companies since 1985, when he began with $100.00 selling computers out of his college apartment. After struggling for nearly 12 years, during which he could not attain significant company growth, Milman decided to Brand and Franchise his business. RESCUECOM was formed.
Public Reports and Contributions
In October 2006, RESCUECOM released its first annual Computer Reliability Report, which is an evaluation of 20,000 service calls to their call center charting the performance of major computer manufacturers. The results of the report may determine the reliability of computers, above and beyond what repairs are covered by vendor warranties. RESCUECOM achieved this data by comparing the percentage of calls to their call center to the different computer companies’ percentage of U.S. market share. It is not a scientific study.
In 2006, RESCUECOM also released a “Top Five Computer Problems” report detailing the most common problems and complaints received by their call center. The determinations illuminate the trends among software, hardware, and networking problems that arise in the home and business market.
The Google Incident
In 2006, RESCUECOM Corporation filed a lawsuit against Google, Inc. claiming trademark violation. The allegations stated that Google, Inc. was selling trademarked keywords for their search engine to RESCUECOM competitors. This meant that if someone was to search for the word “RESCUECOM” on the Google search engine, competing sponsored companies would appear in the search results. On September 28, 2006, the court sided with Google, charging that the practice of selling a trademarked keyword was not a use of the trademark itself.
This was a very significant ruling for Google, Inc. as they can now use the case for future precedents concerning trademark sales and suspected violations of trademark usage.
Corporate Information
RESCUECOM is a franchise company, meaning that any qualified individual can own and operate their own RESCUECOM location, either from their home or from a storefront. The franchisee, in starting their own franchise, inherits the Brand Name, the Remote Support Staff, the Technicians for on-site service, and the SYSTEM ONE® infrastructure, which is the software that governs all aspects of the service and support. RESCUECOM currently has over 200 franchises nationwide.