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

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.

“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:

• Christopher Carney, Founder and CEO, Abode Systems
• Desiree Mejia, COO & Secretary, SkyBell Technologies, Inc.   
• Jason Moore, Co-founder and CEO, RouteThis
• Elizabeth Parks, President and CMO, Parks Associates

About Parks Associates

Parks Associates, a woman-founded and certified business, is an internationally recognized market research and consulting company specializing in emerging consumer technology products and services. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates provides business intelligence and research services through its proprietary methodologies developed over decades, including quarterly surveys of 10,000 internet households.

The company's expertise crosses many industries: home security and smart home, streaming video, broadband and pay-TV services, digital media and platforms, gaming, Wi-Fi and home networks, connected health, support, consumer electronics, home control systems, energy management, and tech solutions for the multi-dwelling (MDU), small-to-medium business (SMB), and commercial building markets.

Each year, Parks Associates brings thousands of leaders together for its webinars and annual events. The firm hosts the annual executive research and strategy conferences CONNECTIONS™, Connected Health Summit, Smart Energy Summit, Smart Spaces, and Future of Video. https://www.parksassociates.com

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