What capture methods are available?
There are 2 separate ways to use Screen Capture:
Standalone (using Chrome Extension only)
With the Companion App/Native App
Only supported for Windows and MacOS
This article will walk through the differences between these options.
If you are looking to learn more about how to install Screen Capture, check out this article for the Screen Capture extension set up or this article for setting up the Companion app!
Standalone Chrome Extension Screen Capture
What is Standalone Screen Capture?
When mentioning the Standalone Screen Capture, this commonly refers to only relying on the Screen Capture Chrome Extension to conduct a Screen Capture recording.
As a Maestro Admin, you can separately confirm this by going to the Configuration tab located within the Screen Capture page, and then checking the Screen Share Method underneath Recording Setup.
Note: Agents who are also not selected to use the Companion App through Enable Companion App for Selected Agents or Groups will also default to Standalone.
Why use Standalone?
We do not recommend to use Standalone Screen Capture long term as it is less reliable in comparison to the Companion App experience. However, it can be a great way to introduce Screen Capture to a small group of agents to help see the impact immediately in Maestro.
It is always possible to switch to the Companion App method afterwords.
Screen Capture through the Companion App
What is the Companion App?
The Companion App is a supplemental app to the Maestro Screen Capture Extension that helps create a more stable Screen Capture experience. This is primarily achieved by switching the Screen Sharing permissions away from Chrome. Screen Sharing permissions are now being managed by the Companion App.
This can be enabled by clicking on "Native App and Extension" underneath Screen Share Method.
Don't forget to select the agents that should opt into the Companion App experience through the dropdown!
Why use the Companion App?
We highly recommend the Companion App Screen Capture approach as it can help:
Greatly reduce number of missed Screen Captures
Reduce need to re-share screens constantly (depends on Screen Share configuration)
This can help create a more seamless Screen Share experience for your agents and reduce number of potential disruptions for agents providing.
If your team is experiencing frequent drops in Screen Sharing permissions or are seeing a lower number of recordings than expected, we recommend to use the Companion App!
FAQ
Does each agent individually have to download the Chrome Extension to use Screen Capture?
The Chrome Extension is required to help Maestro know when to start and end a recording. As a result, regardless of which method chosen, each agent will need to have the Chrome Extension installed.
If your team utilizes Enterprise Chrome, we highly recommend centrally deploying the extension to all your agents instead as this can reduce effort required to roll out Screen Capture to your team. More on this can be read in Google’s support article here.
Recordings will only begin if an Agent is enabled for Screen Capture, and this article here can help explain the process to enable an agent for Screen Capture.
Are there performance differences between the two methods?
Based off of initial investigation, there is no performance difference between the two Screen Capture methods.
What should I do if I am experiencing performance issues as an agent?
Please report your performance issues to your Team Lead and/or Maestro Admin. Key information to provide would be:
Channel you are experiencing performance issues
Other extensions installed
Current Chrome version + Operating System version
Description of what performance issues are causing
Note: Screen Capture begins only when a ticket is open. If you are experiencing performance issues outside of actively working a support interaction, this may be a separate issue related to your helpdesk.
As a Team Lead/Maestro Admin, my Agents are telling me they are having performance issues with Screen Capture, what should I do?
If you are hearing multiple reports of performance issues, we recommend to first reduce Screen Capture video quality to Medium or Low. This will affect videos for ALL agents.
If there are specific agents experiencing performance issues, we recommend to first set those specific agents to performance mode:
This will greatly reduce video quality, but still provide access to insights such as Moments or Ticket Events on a ticket.