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News Accenture Survey Finds Telcos Would Benefit By Offering IntegratedTechnical Support for the Digital Home (19/12/2011) Most global communications providers agree it"s time for themto offer multi-device technical support to their customers,especially as consumers rely on laptops, smartphones and tabletsinterchangeably for business and personal use, a new survey ofproviders by Accenture (NYSE:ACN) shows. Accenture conducted the global survey to learn if service providersare prepared to address the technical support market and if theirattitudes coincide with customers" expectations. The survey revealed that three out of four (75 percent)communications providers said they expect to offer the servicesover the next two years. At the same time, almost half (49 percent)expressed concern that if they did not provide technicalassistance, other companies might encroach on their customer base.Potential rivals for this market include Internet or softwarecompanies, cable, satellite and media companies, retailers andother technology companies. "People use their Internet-connected and mobile devicesacross their home and work environments, creating an atmosphere ofcomplexity that makes technical support – and who willprovide that support -- even more critical," said Kurt Hogan,executive director, Premium Technology Services(/premium-technology-services) inAccenture"s Communications practice. "In fact, in arelated survey we did earlier this year, more than half theconsumers surveyed said they would welcome the opportunity for‘single company" technical support, which signals ahuge opportunity for someone to claim these digitalconsumers." Providers cite customer relationships among advantages; consumersmay not always agree Globally, providers believe consumers would welcome the opportunityto have one company provide technical support for most or all oftheir home and office electronics devices (North America – 83percent; Europe and Latin America – 65 percent; Asia Pacific– 55 percent). And a clear majority of all providers (73percent) believe their industry is well-positioned to addressconsumers" needs for technical help with devices such asmobile phones and smartphones. Eighty-six percent cited their owncompany"s trusted relationship with customers as a reason itis well positioned to provide such technical support for mobilephones and smartphones. Among the additional advantages providers believe their customersvalue are an existing infrastructure connected to theircustomers" home, personal, or office devices (58 percent);their reputation for technical competence (56 percent); and, anexisting billing relationship that could accommodate additionalservices (54 percent). More than half (53 percent) believe theyhave a competitive advantage because they already provide servicefor mobile phones and smartphones, which can function as a"hub" for other home, personal or office electronicsdevices. However, more than half (58 percent) of the smartphone consumersAccenture surveyed earlier this year about remote technical supportsaid they would look to mobile phone or smartphone providers– rather than communications providers – as a likelysource of technical support for these devices. By contrast, 80percent of communications providers said their industry was a goodfit to provide mobile phones or smartphones with technical support. Providers recognize business value in supporting mobile phones andcomputers Communications providers generally recognize the business value ofbeing able to diagnose and repair mobile phone or smartphoneproblems via remote access. Two-thirds (66 percent) believe theservice would be most worthwhile if equipment- andnon-equipment-related problems could be identified. More than half(59 percent) said the service would be valuable if it were toreduce the number of phones that are not broken but are returnedanyway because customers have technical issues. Computer maintenance is another area where providers recognizebusiness value. More than two-thirds (68 percent) believe thatoffering computer maintenance service would position the company tooffer additional maintenance and integration services for home,personal and office electronics devices. Comparing the recent, provider-focused survey with the earlier,consumer-focused survey revealed that providers and consumers havedifferent opinions regarding technical service delivery options,such as call centers, emails and other delivery methods. Fifty-onepercent of providers believe consumers prefer technical assistancedelivered through a contact center; 29 percent of providerssurveyed said consumers would prefer in-home technical assistance;and seven percent said they believe customers want support inretail stores where they purchase their devices. However, consumers in the Accenture survey said they"dwelcome delivery of support in a variety of non-traditional ways,including self-directed service with online support (39 percent) orprovided by technicians via email or online chat (39 percent). And,one-third (33 percent) expressed interest in having supportprovided by technicians who could remotely access their computer atnight or during some other "down time." According to the recent Accenture survey, alignment on the timingand price point of the technical support offer is also important.Forty-five percent of providers believe that consumers would bemore likely to purchase routine, preventive computer maintenanceafter they experience computer problems and were in touch with atechnician on a phone, rather than contracting for such service atthe time they purchase a device. Consumers surveyed in the earlierAccenture research offered greater support for preventive computermaintenance: 52 percent said they would purchase remote support asa preventive measure to reduce the likelihood of serious computerproblems that could put data at risk or cost a lot of money to fix.When asked about consumers" willingness to pay for some typesof routine computer services, providers underestimated theirwillingness to pay by 25 percent. Accenture also asked providers if their company had the capabilityto offer integrated technical support. Fifty-nine percent said thatoffering remote diagnostic service for mobile phones andsmartphones would require capabilities that most communicationscompanies currently do not have in-house. Thirty-nine percent saidthat integrated technical support for mobile phones or smartphoneswould be worth offering, but only if the actual service could beoutsourced and handled by another company, and 39 percent said itwould be worth the investment to establish an in-house capability. "Providers have clearly established customer relationshipsand touch points, such as cell centers, retail stores, web sites,and in-home service calls," Hogan said. "However, theymust fully understand customers" preferences and ensurethey"re ready to address them before implementing integratedtechnical assistance, which can help providers reduce their supportcosts, improve the customer experience, and increaseproviders" sales to digital consumers." Methodology: Accenture conducted the 20-country telephone survey of 59 seniorexecutives at communications companies with annual revenues of atleast $US500 million. /pts-research Visit our featured links Visit our sponsors and showcases. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as Dry Clean Machines , Feed Extruder Manufacturer, and more. For more , please visit Pellet Mill Machine today!
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