DALLAS, TX--(Marketwired - Aug 8, 2013) - Parks Associates tech support research shows new automation strategies are starting to resonate with consumers, as 38% of U.S. consumers who have experienced PC problems would prefer to fix future problems themselves, with the use of self-help tools. Improved user interfaces have also made setup of new tablets, smartphones, and smart TVs more intuitive, and currently 51% of consumers prefer to set up new devices independently.
In the new report "Automating Consumer Tech Support," analysts note that as self-help and cloud-based automation tools improve, they will dramatically improve productivity and scalability in support services. Currently tech support providers estimate one-in-five service calls can be solved by consumers and as many as 50% of calls on mobile devices can be solved through self-help channels.
"Given the competitive landscape of the digital home, high-quality customer service is critical, especially for service providers. Consumers are more than twice as likely to leave a mobile or broadband provider if dissatisfied with the customer service," said Patrice Samuels, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. "Automating technical support increases the efficiency of the process, allowing providers to address more consumer concerns while reducing errors and the overall cost of support."
"The Future of Support: Intelligence Managing Technology," a whitepaper from Parks Associates, developed in partnership with EchoStar, analyzes the risk to service providers that do not address subscribers' needs. It also presents the opportunities for being first-to-market with an intelligent, comprehensive support solution, where the total U.S. tech support market will grow to $8.25 billion by 2017. This whitepaper is available at http://www.parksassociates.com/future-of-support.
"Support providers boast improvements in efficiency and customer satisfaction metrics, including 29% improvement in the Average Handle Time (AHT) and 50% improvement in renewal rates of premium technical support services," Samuels said. "Our new report shows automating consumer technical support services can further reduce costs throughout the support process, including service initiation, diagnosis, resolution, CRM, and marketing and sales."
For information, visit www.parksassociates.com or contact sales@parksassociates.com, 972-490-1113.
About Parks Associates
Parks Associates is a market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital through market reports, primary studies, consumer research, custom research, workshops, executive conferences, and annual service subscriptions. http://www.parksassociates.com
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Holly Sprague
Parks Associates
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hsprague@gmail.com