TechSee Survey Reveals a Missed Field Upsell Opportunity: Only 9% of Consumers Buy Home Network Equipment From a Technician

Most consumers rank the technician in their home as their most trusted sales channel, yet 55% are far more likely to buy additional network equipment when that technician can show them the problem for themselves.

NEW YORK, Sept. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- TechSee, a global leader in visual agentic AI for customer experience, today released findings from its Home Connectivity Sales Channel survey. The results point to a large and largely untapped revenue channel for telecom and broadband providers: the technician already standing in the customer's home. Consumers trust that technician more than any other sales channel, but today only a fraction of equipment purchases happen during a visit.

Most consumers buy home network equipment online. 87% of consumers have purchased equipment such as a router, mesh extender, or Wi-Fi booster. When they buy, they go online or to a store. Half (50%) bought through their provider's website or app, 42% bought online but not from their provider, for example on Amazon, and 25% bought from a retail store. That 42% buying online outside their provider represents real revenue leaking away from carriers.

Nearly half of consumers (48%) had a telecom technician visit their home in the past 24 months, yet buying during that visit remains the least common channel, with only 9% ever bought during a technician visit, the least-used channel of all. The shortfall is not for lack of the offer. Among consumers who had a visit, 72% said the technician offered them additional equipment such as a mesh extender, a router upgrade, or a Wi-Fi booster. Technicians are already making the pitch, so the gap sits somewhere other than the offer itself.

That trust is well earned, because consumers see the technician as the most trusted sales channel of all. A majority (51%) said they trust a technician in their home to recommend the right equipment, well ahead of a retail store (36%) and a phone support agent (34%). The reasons are practical. Consumers point to having a trusted technical expert already in the home (43%), buying from the person responsible for installation and repair rather than a salesperson (43%), and getting the equipment installed and working before the technician leaves (38%).

The root cause of the missed revenue sits in what customers cannot see. Most home network problems are invisible to the customer, which makes any recommended upgrade easy to dismiss as a sales pitch. Seeing the issue changes that. 37% said being able to see the problem, for example coverage gaps shown visually, would make them more likely to buy from a technician. The pattern runs deeper in how consumers describe their own behavior: 55% are more likely to buy from a technician who can show them their coverage gaps visually, such as a heatmap of coverage and dead zones, 55% are more likely to buy from their own provider when the technician can show them why they need it, and 67% trust a recommendation more when they can see the problem with their own eyes.

The upside reaches past new sales and into loyalty. 57% of consumers said they would be more loyal to a provider whose technician shows them their home network coverage visually during a visit, and 52% would be more loyal to a provider that notifies them in advance about network gaps and offers a solution. That loyalty carries a pricing upside too: more than a third (36%) said they would pay up to 20% more for equipment when a technician offers it, installs it, and shows them it solves the problem. Showing customers what is happening inside their home, and fixing it on the spot, grows revenue and keeps customers at the moment they trust their provider most.

"For years, telecom providers have told us that their technicians are often the people consumers trust most to advise them on their home network," said Amir Yoffe, Co-Founder and COO of TechSee. "When a customer sees their own coverage gaps on screen, it builds trust in the diagnosis and the recommended solution. Buying the fix then becomes the obvious choice. Yet the in-home visit is where the fewest purchases happen today. For providers, that is real revenue left on the table and a loyalty opportunity missed at the exact moment their customer trusts them most."

TechSee surveyed 1500 U.S. adults with home internet service from a telecom or broadband provider for the Home Connectivity Sales Channel survey, conducted in September 2026. The estimated margin of error for the full sample is approximately ±2.5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Access the full Home Connectivity Sales Channel Survey report here.

About TechSee
TechSee is the leading Agentic AI-powered platform harnessing Visual and Spatial AI to transform customer service. By enabling businesses to see and resolve what their customers see, TechSee eliminates friction, reduces costs, and enhances satisfaction. Trusted by Fortune 500 companies and global leaders in telecom, home automation, and consumer electronics, TechSee delivers seamless, intelligent service experiences at scale. The company is headquartered in Tel Aviv with offices in New York, London, and Madrid.

SOURCE TechSee