The value of proactive support for home integration systems

The value of proactive support for home integration systems

After making a substantial investment in a home integration system, you should come away with the one thing that’s truly priceless: peace of mind. The ideal home system is neither seen nor heard, operating smoothly in the background making your life easier — not causing fresh problems of its own. We keep this thought at top-of-mind on the occasions when system support is needed.

Whenever possible, we want to solve problems without being seen or heard — and without disrupting the client’s day-to-day life. Luckily, one of the best features about today’s sophisticated home integration and automation systems is that they make it possible to offer remote troubleshooting and support like never before. At Audio Den, systems like Control4 made it possible for us to develop our comprehensive Client Care programs, which take customer support to a new level by being proactive instead of reactive. We use a small in-network appliance that creates a secure channel for us to access, monitor and troubleshoot a customer’s network, and often even the devices attached to it.

Active, always-on monitoring means we can often solve problems in real time, before a customer even experiences an issue. No more waiting for small problems to be noticed by the customer and reported to us! By reducing the need for in-home support visits, we save our clients time, money and hassle.

What kinds of remote support are possible?

Remote Programming

We can perform a number of programming changes remotely. Need to change your lighting scene for the season? Adding a new cable box or other device? We include modifications like these in Audio Den Client Care program.

Remote Equipment Monitoring

We can actively monitor hardware on the connected network, and be alerted instantly if any of the equipment should go offline or stop responding correctly.

Troubleshooting & Reboot

Many small issues can be solved with a simple reboot; but in any case, most hardware problems are ones we can troubleshoot and correct before the customer is even aware of the problem.

Always Up-to-Date Firmware

Another benefit of a remote-support setup is that we can schedule regular checks to make sure all connected hardware has the latest firmware/software installed. When a new update is released, we can check for compatibility issues and then perform the update without delay.

ISP Monitoring

Many of today’s IoT and IP-driven devices rely on consistent uptime, so monitoring the home’s internet connection can make all the difference in helping our clients use their equipment seamlessly. We not only monitor uptime, but bandwidth, to make sure customers always have the speed they need to operate their devices without lag time or buffering.

What about when an in-home support visit is required?

Occasionally, problems do arise that require an on-site visit. That’s why we we felt it essential to build a Client Care program that makes the on-site component of our service program easy and stress-free. For this reason, we included additional features to our Client Care packages:

Annual Maintenance Visit

This is a high-value feature that lets us be proactive about the things we can’t check remotely. We replace all alkaline remote batters, and test every component in the customer’s system and evaluate its performance. We make sure sensitive equipment is configured optimally and is free of dust and debris. It’s also a chance to check in with the customer about their home, discuss future needs and answer any questions that may have arisen.

Priority Support & Scheduling

When a Client Care customer calls, they are directed to a dedicated Audio Den Client Care service pro who offers front-line support. This dedicated associate will be able to remotely access and diagnose many systems in the client’s home. Should a problem turn out to be more complex and require an on-site service call, our Client Care customers receive priority scheduling (this is an optional feature). The initial support phone call goes a long way in starting the diagnostic process, and further saves the client money by helping the on-site team service and troubleshoot efficiently.

Loaner Equipment

We’ve all experienced it: you’re planning a get-together with guests. Everything has to be just right. Your surround-sound system chooses that week to break down! Sometimes there’s no escaping Murphy’s Law. As another optional feature in our upper-tier Client Care plan, in the event of mission-critical equipment needing service before an event, Audio Den will offer loaner equipment as available to make sure the party goes off without a snag.

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