Parks Associates: 51% of Smart Home Owners Who Have Recently Experienced at Least One Technical Issue Report Loss of Wireless Connectivity

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Jun 01, 2022, 08:47 ET

Industry webinar features discussion with RouteThis on how brands can use support services to create customer loyalty

DALLAS, June 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Parks Associates research finds 50% of smart home device owners have experienced a recent problem with one or more of their devices, with the majority of problems related to wireless connectivity. These issues contribute to the high return rates for these devices. The research firm will examine how companies can improve the user experience and build brand loyalty throughout the smart home ecosystem during the industry webinar "Building Brand Loyalty across the Smart Home" hosted on Thursday, June 9, 11 am CT US (12 pm ET), in partnership with RouteThis.

Parks Associates: Smart Home Devices: Top Technical Problems Experienced

"Between 2-4% of US internet households returned at least one smart home device in the past 12 months, which are high return rates when you consider the purchase and adoption rates are still in single or low double digits," said Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO, Parks Associates. "A poor early experience impacts future consumer attitudes, as 13% of consumers report they are not likely to purchase a new product from the same brand if they return a product from that brand. In this early market stage, brands need to build enthusiasm and brand loyalty to continue the drive toward mass market."

"Smart home devices often get returned for reasons that have nothing to do with the device itself," said Jason Moore, Co-founder and CEO, RouteThis. "Aside from the expense these returns create, they can also have a significant impact on customer loyalty. In reality, over half of the issues these devices experience are directly related to the consumer's home Wi-Fi. So, when it comes to building brand loyalty, smart home brands first need to consider what they can do to better resolve and assist customers with these issues."

Consumers report the main reason for smart home returns were "the product did not work as advertised" and they had "difficulty with the physical installation," indicating more work needs to be done to improve consumer education, setup and installation processes, and product connectivity. Additionally, over one-half of Wi-Fi network owners report some network problem over the last 12 months, including slow speeds and lost connections.

The webinar explores the need for brands to offer a variety of support resources. Industry experts address the role of onboarding and support services for connected device owners. Topics:

The installation and setup process
How to help support Wi-Fi and connectivity issues
Proactive and predictive support services and tools
The costs and business impact associated with product returns
Smart home and CE devices consumers most wanted covered by support

Webinar speakers:

Jason Moore, Co-founder and CEO, RouteThis
Christopher Carney, Founder and CEO, Abode Systems
Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO, Parks Associates

All media are invited to attend. Register at https://www.parksassociates.com/routethis-june2022. To request data or an interview, contact Rosey Sera at [email protected] or 972-490-1113.

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates, a woman-owned and woman-led internationally recognized market research and consulting company, specializes in emerging technology solutions serving the consumer and small to medium business (SMB) markets. Celebrating its 35^th year in 2021, Parks Associates is a partner to companies navigating the changing consumer technology landscapes through data-driven market insights, extensive consumer and industry intelligence, custom marketing services, and executive networking experiences and conferences. https://www.parksassociates.com

Contact:
Rosimely Sera
Parks Associates
972.996.0233
[email protected]

SOURCE Parks Associates