PlumChoice: 67 Percent of Consumers Dumbfounded by Common “Smart” Devices

Wednesday, October 07, 2015

PlumChoice, Inc., the leader in specialized technical services for the Internet of Things (IoT) and cloud enablement, today released alarming new data that reveals a pervasive disconnect between brands who provide connected, IoT products and the consumers struggling to use them. The Executive Summary for PlumChoice’s “IoT Device Adoption and Technical Support Benchmark Report: 2015” Executive Summary.

The report reveals that 67 percent of consumers struggle to use common connected devices, while less than half of all respondents seek help with their Internet-connected “things.” Moreover, when they do ask for help, only 20 percent of consumers say they are satisfied with the technical assistance they receive.

“If connected devices are ever going to move beyond the novelty stage, consumers need to have an outlet and an answer for their support needs beyond friends and family,” said Wynn Grubbs, senior vice president of business and partner development at PlumChoice. “The time is now for manufacturers, retailers and solution providers to realize that smart technologies require a new support paradigm. Today’s support must expand beyond break/fix to include education, interoperability and usage in order to earn the trust of the consumer and assure that they are enjoying the benefits they expect from their technology. If we continue to sit by and watch consumer frustration increase, brands will see smart device adoption rates fall off a cliff – and revenues will diminish.”

Other key discoveries and data from PlumChoice’s “IoT Device Adoption and Technical Support Benchmark Report: 2015” include:

Millennials are not exempt
- 60 percent of 18-24 year olds struggle to complete all the tasks they’d like to achieve with their connected devices
Where do you turn for help?
- 46 percent of consumers suffer in silence and do not ask for help
- 50 percent turn to a friend or family member
- 17 percent contact the product manufacturer; and
- 14 percent go back to the retailer who sold them the product
Building brand loyalty
- 75 percent of respondents say a brand’s level and scope of support impacts their willingness to buy from that brand again
- 14 percent say they have returned a connected device because they had difficulty installing or using it
- Of those, 51 percent said they will not buy from the brand again, with 61 percent of the women surveyed stating they would not buy from that brand again
Great expectations
- 90 percent of respondents said they expect some level of technical support when they purchase a smart home product
- Data clearly reveals a gap between who consumers expect and trust to provide support

The survey also examined consumers’ adoption of both emerging smart home technologies (smart cars, thermostats and door locks) and mainstream, Internet-connected devices (smartphones, laptops and fitness bands).

For information about PlumChoice, please visit www.plumchoice.com. To access the full report and accompanying graphics, click here.

PlumChoice Resources

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