Tech support in the fluid world of IoT

Suppose an app on your smartphone unlocks the security system of your apartment upon your arrival. And the security device then connects with the AC to set the temperature as per your preset preferences. But, when the device fails to trigger the AC, how do you go about identifying the real problem? Is it a malfunction in the respective equipments and their interfaces, or the communication framework?

How does one architect tech support in such an interconnected universe?

With the IoT estimated to grow to 26 billion units by 2020, tech support has to evolve and reinvent itself in line with this change.

As more and more devices continue to be connected across different pathways, the number of customer touch points for service will explode in number. Manufacturers will also simultaneously see an increase in the volume of data.

The IoT ecosystem is built around communication. This means that devices can be programmed for remote monitoring.

The IoT setup further opens up opportunities to gleam insights on product performance and customer behaviour, with a greater precision, and in ways hitherto unimagined. Support teams can access and leverage data on varying metrics around product or feature usage to provide a personalized support / product experience. With this knowledge, they can pinpoint relevant help sections, or assign the right SME to solve the problem.

AI and predictive analytics will lead the way in this transition towards a more customized, proactive tech support.

Tech support will no longer be about an individual product or brand experience, but the seamless performance of the entire ecosystem. In this environment, support agents should be able to dive in at any service touch point along the user experience that is tied in with the brand’s offering. Training for tech support will therefore encompass more than the brand’s product or service.

As the number of households with devices dialed into the IoT is on the rise, tech support has to rise to the occasion to make the promise of simplicity and control, a reality.