Article
Turning post-holiday tech stress into customer loyalty
The gifts are opened. Then the questions start: "How do I transfer my photos?" "Why won't this connect to Wi-Fi?" "Can you help Grandma set up her new tablet?"
For brands, retailers, and carriers, this moment matters. Holiday returns jumped 28% year-over-year in 2024, with consumers sending back $122 billion in merchandise.1 Support inquiries surge 34% while resolution times slow by nearly 30%.2
But here's what the data also shows: three in four consumers will spend more with businesses that provide great customer experience.3 The post-holiday window isn't just a returns problem. It's a loyalty opportunity.
What are the most common tech support issues after the holidays?
The average U.S. internet household now owns nearly 17 connected devices4 and will need tech support at some point. After the holidays, those requests cluster around predictable pain points:
- Wi-Fi connectivity issues including router set up and connecting new devices to the network
- New home theater and smart TVs, especially with seasonal sporting events and Super Bowl viewership
- Help with streaming devices and media players like Apple TV®, Roku®, and Amazon Firestick
- Device transfer issues for popular holiday gifts like smartphones and tablets
- Hardwiring and Wi-Fi set up as well as downloads of system updates, firmware, or games for gaming systems
Many of these issues aren't complex technical failures, but they do create setup friction due to user inexperience with devices and how they interconnect. Having a tech expert provide a helping hand can make the difference between a satisfied customer and a returned product.
With Personal TechProSM, support teams resolve 98% of these issues on first contact5 using expert tech pros and tools like screen sharing and camera sharing that let technicians see exactly what customers are experiencing. There's also a smart apartment set up in each of our tech support centers with hundreds of the top tech devices available for hands-on training and recreating complex customer situations for real-world support that goes well beyond the manual.
How effective tech support can help reduce holiday electronics returns
Electronics drove $55.3 billion in online holiday sales in 20246, but they also generate significant return volume. The NRF projects 17% of holiday sales will be returned, with 71% of consumers saying they're less likely to shop again at a retailer where they've had a poor returns experience.7
Think about the math of a saved sale. Every time you help a customer set up their device instead of returning it, you gain:
- The revenue from the sale itself: You keep the money in the register.
- Savings on logistics: You don't have to pay to ship and process a return.
- Future sales: A happy customer is more likely to buy device accessories or protection plans if offered during the purchase phase.
- Increased lifetime customer value: Positive reviews and word-of-mouth recommendations are priceless.
Simply put, providing solid tech support customers can access 24/7 directly addresses the customer service gap that drives unnecessary returns, especially during the holiday season when in-person support locations may be closed.
What good tech support actually looks like
The challenge for most businesses is that the tech support demand often comes in waves. It’s tough to hire a massive team of experts for just a few weeks and then scale back down. It’s not practical.
So, what’s the answer? You need a flexible approach that mixes human relatability with smart tools.
For the quick fixes and common questions: Make it easy to find answers.
Sometimes, a customer just wants to know a simple setting. They don't want to call and wait on hold. For these moments, self-service tools are perfect.
Think about searchable guides, simple step-by-step articles, or short videos. If you can answer "how do I pair my headphones?" with a 30-second video, everyone wins. The key is to make these resources easy to find and genuinely helpful. Organize them around real questions people ask, not technical manual terms.
For the tough stuff: Connect them with an expert.
When things get complicated, nothing beats a real person.
For complex setup issues or personalized guidance, customers need access to knowledgeable technicians. These experts can walk them through the problem, step by step. The best support teams achieve first time resolution rates at 98% by leveraging technical expertise with tools like screen sharing or camera sharing so they can see exactly what the customer sees.5 It takes the guesswork out of the conversation and helps resolve issues much faster.
For the long haul: Offer proactive help.
Support shouldn't just be for when things break. It should be about helping customers get the most out of their purchases.
Think of the perceived value for a customer who receives a tip on how to optimize battery life a week after purchase, or a guide on discovering new features, or pro advice on connecting a new device across a smart home ecosystem. This helps customers feel confident and excited about their new tech, rather than frustrated.
When you put all this together, support stops feeling like damage control. It starts feeling like a service you’re proud to offer, and that sets your brand apart from competitors.
Selling confidence, not just gadgets
When devices and pricing feel the same everywhere, support becomes a deciding factor for consumers.
One in three customers will leave after just one bad interaction. But customers who rate their experience highly spend 140% more and remain loyal up to six times longer.8 With the right support infrastructure combining expert human assistance and 24/7 self-service resources, support becomes an opportunity to demonstrate value, build loyalty, and convert one-time holiday buyers into long-term customers.
At Assurant, we’ve built Personal TechPro to provide support for more than 100,000 different devices, with one-tap access to tech pros who leverage remote diagnostics and screen sharing for support that feels just like having someone there in person. We also make sure that the 34M+ customers we serve worldwide always have 24/7 access to a self-help library of more than 1.5 million pieces of tech guidance manuals, tutorials, videos, and more, any time they need it.
The question isn't whether your customers will need tech support after the holidays. They will. The question is whether you'll be ready to provide it, and whether that experience will bring them back or send them to a competitor.
Learn how Personal TechPro's combination of live expert support and self-service resources can help your business capture the post-holiday opportunity.
References
1 https://www.salesforce.com/news/press-releases/2025/01/06/2024-holiday-shopping-data/
3 https://www.zendesk.com/blog/customer-experience-statistics/
5 https://www.assurant.com/mobile-protection-programs
6 https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/online-holiday-sales/
8 https://www.superoffice.com/blog/customer-experience-statistics/