Technology is pervasive and essential to everyday life for virtually all households. The average number of connected devices per U.S. internet household is now 17, up from an average ownership of 10 devices just five years ago.
Consumer technical support needs are strongly influenced by the number and type of connected devices owned. As device adoption and the need for broadband continue to grow, the demand for technical support grows also.
The increase in connected device adoption is especially pronounced among households with children—they have an average of more than 23 devices, compared to 15 among households without children.
With more connected devices, households require more broadband capacity and connectivity points. Working from home has led to an increase in the number of computing devices being used in internet households. Currently, 61% of households report that at least one person works at home some of the time. Laptops continue to lead in device purchases for the computing and networking category, but home network routers and Wi-Fi extenders show steady growth.
Smart Home Enters the Mainstream
The smart home industry is attracting more mainstream buyers, part of the Early Majority market segment. Early adopters are willing to overlook bugs in early-generation products and put in the effort to make their experience just right, but ease of use and top-notch technical support are critical for mass-market consumers.
COVID caused a rush to develop virtual technical support capabilities, including new video support technologies. Several companies also promote Wi-Fi optimization services to help consumers better manage their home networks. Now, more and more consumers are interested in services that optimize the network.
Wi-Fi Issues are a Problem
Wi-Fi issues are the most common problems in the home. Roughly one-half of Wi-Fi households experience problems with their networks—slow performance is the leading problem.
Households with children are particularly likely to experience network problems as multiple household members access Wi-Fi through diverse devices.
For households with children, trouble getting products to connect to the internet and getting products to connect to each other nearly doubles. A whopping 57% of households with children have technical problems with Wi-Fi compared with only 37% of households without children at home. These households are top buyers of smart home products and services and a clear target market for premium technical support.
Wi-Fi issues can manifest in different ways, masking its outage as the root cause. For example, if a streaming service is not loading, the consumer might first assume that the service is down, as opposed to it being an issue with the Wi-Fi.
These problems with devices and connectivity offer new opportunities to provide support for consumers’ digital lifestyles. Support can be provided remotely or virtually and offers opportunities for manufacturers to strengthen their brand and gain additional revenue by delivering services that stabilize the home network, optimize device performance, and ensure ongoing reliability of service.
Actions for Support are Mostly DIY
There is a lack of consumer knowledge on what to do when something breaks, with no clear ownership of devices when it comes to customer support. Do you get in touch with the retailer or the brand? Warranty programs are also unclear over what devices are protected and when, and what level of support consumers receive when something breaks.
Self-diagnosing (aka searching for information about support) often becomes the default next step, which can lead down rabbit holes of troubleshooting steps of varying quality and accuracy. It also makes a brand’s customers vulnerable to counterprogramming or poaching by competitors, who could be buying ad space alongside a tutorial video promoting their product over the one needing help.
Parks Associates’ data finds consumers’ top five actions after experiencing technical problems with smart home devices are DIY steps, not seeking professional support. Manufacturers’ websites and online videos are important sources of self-help for the two-thirds of consumers who seek help when they have trouble setting up a device. Companies must ensure their product manuals and self-help videos are clear, easily accessible, and easy to follow, including directions to resources for extended, in-person help.
Building awareness around the availability of support and warranty services is important as well as clearly conveying when consumers can use the service. More awareness and better proactive communication of good technical support solutions can result in more uptake of services.
Parks Associates is a market research and consulting company. Since 1986, the firm has been tracking security and IoT markets. This is an excerpt from Parks Associates white paper, Turmoil in the Smart Home: The Impact on User Experience, written in partnership with Asurion.
