“I want to know when a client’s home needs service before they do. System monitoring gives us immediate knowledge of a component failure and in some cases the ability to fix the problem remotely. This is a significant advance in a business where service is everything.”
Ken Johnson, President of Premiere Systems
CEPro-Why We Need a 27/4 Service Model
The new business for integrators -- ongoing service and support -- is a 24/7 model.
We integrators have traditionally had a model by which we:
- sell a client a custom system
- do the integration at our facility and on the client's site
- spend time tweaking the system and adjusting the controls to the customers' liking
- then go away
In the past, we seldom a needed to go back to support the systems we installed because they were primarily static.
While we have been busy running our integration businesses (selling and installing systems) this way, many things have changed. Convergence is here, and we are now in a digital world.
Today's digital products give us wonderful opportunities. We can build much more sophisticated systems. However, these opportunities are not free.
The "price" we pay for this incredible flexibility and performance is that these systems are no longer static; they are in a constant state of change.
The software and firmware of these systems need to be routinely updated. The data needs to be backed up. Worst of all, many need to be proactively monitored and managed 24/7.
Furthermore, there is potential for adverse cascading effects to hinder the functioning of our systems if, for example, the customer makes any changes or upgrades to the home computing and networking environment.
Despite these difficulties, our customers' expectations have not changed. We're still expected to provide a sophisticated, reliable system with top quality, long-term support.
Because we sell the experience (and not just a collection of products), it's all going to be about ongoing service and support as we move forward.
Embracing the New Digital Products
So, how should this additional support load be handled so that we still make a profit?
Well, waiting it out won't work; that's for sure. Our customers demand access to any media any place, at any time.
Our industry standards are rapidly changing, requiring more generalized hardware platforms to keep up with new technology. But our customers do not want to have to replace their surround sound processor every two years because Dolby or DTS just came out with a new audio standard.
Systems need to be easily updated. New computer-based products can actually make these types of changes easily via an quick, automated Internet downloads with no cost.
Embrace New Technologies for Monitoring and Updates
We must embrace the latest digital technologies, but as much as the new technology now offers, there are problems with implementation in the "real world" of our current customers.
First, while customers' systems must remain stable and functional, the complexity of those systems must be hidden.
We must be able to install software/firmware updates on a regular basis, providing proactive systems monitoring and systems management while minimizing the appearance of a service call.
By embracing some of the same digital technologies and networks that some of us fear, most of the updating and monitoring can be automated and performed remotely. Doing this by hand would be very expensive and not at all profitable.
Capital infrastructure and staffing requirements are expensive, though. So, this type of support would best be handled at an aggregate level by outsourcing it to an umbrella company.
But there's a catch.
While leveraging the costs of technology over a much larger customer base would be much more cost effective, outsourcing at this level is currently not available -- and that brings us to our call for a new 24/7 support model.
We Need a New Support Model
Are there any support models that our industry can follow?
From experience, we know how the PC and networking industry supports its individual end users. We see there are several models in that realm that would be insufficient for our customers (who have very high expectations).
Our clients don't want to be redirected overseas or put on hold or rerouted to an incomprehensible do-it-yourself menu or flowchart. They will not put up with such models.
The best model may be found in the way the computer networking industry structures its support for businesses.
When was the last time your ATM wasn't working? Or a store couldn't authorize your credit card? There are ways to make very complex systems reliable all the time -- they involve continuous monitoring and updating.
Some forward-thinking Media Center companies (Niveus and Inteset, for example) are just starting to roll out these types of professional-level support programs for dealers.
A few dedicated support companies are forming to offer independent support programs to their dealers. One of them, Atomoo, even tries to look at the requirement of the complete system and network needing attention.
All of these programs, however, are currently limited in scope, relatively new and remain, as of yet, unproven. Although these outsourcing models could provide monitoring and management on a 24/7 basis, there are other customer service questions to consider.
For example, how do we insure a quality customer experience? Who will have direct contact with your customer?
Though many logistic challenges loom before us, one thing is perfectly clear: the new digital technology is quickly outpacing our ability to support customers properly.
However we answer questions of service quality control, our businesses need to step up to the challenge and re-engineer themselves so as to provide a new service model.
Our industry's vendors must also re-evaluate their support and services programs to better support us. After all, there is always the possibility that new (or established) companies will develop solutions that better fit our needs in servicing our customers.
As with any major technology shift, there are great opportunities for those who lead the way; there are also great perils for those who fall behind.
Vaughn Petraglia is a CEDIA Registered Outreach Instructor. He is also a designer at Audio Video Experience (http://www.electroniclifestyle.com) and a member of the Media Center Integrator Alliance.