Tech support problems with computing and entertainment devices are declining steadily year-over-year, dropping by more than 50% since 2014, according to Parks Associates.
"Problems with computing and entertainment devices have declined due to mature technologies that improve device reliability and performance, including self-healing technologies, product updates and intuitive user interfaces," said Patrice Samuels, senior analyst, Parks Associates.
However, 34% of smart home device owners experienced problems with their devices in 2017, up from 28% in 2016. That statistic comes as purchase intentions for most smart-home devices in the next 12 months are 20-25% among US broadband households.
"For smart-home products, this market is moving toward the early majority, who are typically less tech savvy than the early adopters, resulting in a higher demand for support,” said Samuels.
According to Tech Support Landscape: US Trends and Outlook, 44% of technical problems with computing and entertainment devices are ultimately resolved by a professional technician, while 35% of smart-home problems are resolved by professional support.
The latter finding represents a decline in the number of smart-home product owners who resolve their tech problems on their own, which is driving the emergence of support services from companies such as Amazon and HelloTech, which charge a one-time fee per incident. About 39% of consumers who intend to purchase a smart-home device found a service that helps them set up and configure new devices highly appealing in 2017, compared to 28% in 2016.
"Several forces help shape whether consumers pay for technical support services," Samuels said. "On one hand, high competition is driving brands to use support as a competitive differentiator and many are willing to provide a defined level of support, at no cost, to attain customer loyalty. At the same time, as consumers become more familiar with their devices, they seek support for more complex tasks."
Parks Associates also found that the average number of connected computing and entertainment devices in broadband households increased from 4.1 in 2010 to 8.3 in 2017.
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