Tech support: from utility to loyalty strategy

Leveraging tech support to create more customer loyalty opportunities

Technology is no longer something consumers choose to engage with. It’s the infrastructure of daily life. Eighty percent of consumers now say connected technology makes their lives better, a 19-point surge since 2021. That kind of shift doesn’t happen incrementally. It signals a fundamental change in how deeply people depend on their devices.

But here’s the tension brands and retailers need to reckon with: As dependency grows, so does frustration. Multiply that by the growing number of connected devices in a single household and the chances for customer frustration increase even further. And, in a landscape where consumers have endless options for where to invest their loyalty, the brands that help them navigate technology with confidence, and simplify managing multiple devices at once, will win. Those that don’t will watch consumers walk.

The question is no longer whether to invest in tech support. It’s whether you’re investing in it strategically.

The stakes have changed.

The data from Assurant’s 2026 Global Connected Consumer Trends Report paints a clear picture: connected technology has become vital infrastructure. Consumers say technology improves work 7x more than it worsens it, and leisure and personal interests 5x more. Shopping (42%), entertainment (39%), and communication (35%) top the list of life areas most positively transformed by technology.

Yet frustration is widespread. The top device categories driving tech headaches are smartphones (42%), computers (37%), home entertainment (29%), and home appliances (27%). Critically, the most common issues aren’t dramatic failures. They’re everyday operational problems: connectivity and speed issues (35%), insufficient storage (30%), and Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connection problems (28%).

These aren’t the kinds of problems that require insurance claims or visits to a repair shop. But, left unsolved, tech support issues erode confidence and customer loyalty quietly, sending customers looking to other brands who proactively plan for after-sales support.

Your customers are already self-serving their tech support needs, just not with you.

When something goes wrong, consumers don’t wait for help. They look for it immediately, and on their own terms. YouTube is the number one troubleshooting behavior, used by 35% of consumers. Another 35% try to solve it themselves. Friends and family come in at 31%. AI tools account for 19%.

This is both a challenge and an opportunity for brands. The self-serve instinct is already there: Consumers are motivated and capable. What they’re missing is a trusted, brand-affiliated source to turn to first. Right now, that void is being filled by random YouTube creators and search results.

Brands and retailers that step into that space with expert-guided video content, accessible documentation, and on-demand support don’t just solve problems. They create a touch point. And touch points, when they go well, build loyalty. Those that provide proactive care and pro tips for helping customers get the most out of their devices can increase trust and loyalty even further.

Personalization is the customer experience lever brands are underusing.

Beyond support, the research surfaces another powerful finding: Consumers respond strongly to flexibility. Eighty-five percent say that offering personalized protection plans would improve their opinion of the brand selling them. Eighty-seven percent say it would make them more likely to keep the plan.

This isn’t just about protection plans in the abstract. AI-enabled device buyers, a rapidly growing segment, are even more protection-minded than average: 61% for smartphones, 58% for computers, 51% for home entertainment. As AI capabilities become table stakes in consumer devices, the bar for support and protection rises with them.

The implication for brands is direct. Customization strengthens trust, drives retention, and influences purchase. Brands that can offer flexible, personalized support experiences aren’t just checking a box. They’re insulating themselves from external competitive forces.

Personal TechPro^SM: what “meeting customers where they are” actually looks like

This is the context in which Assurant’s Personal TechPro was built, and why it matters for the brands and retailers we partner with who are looking to translate these research findings into business results.

Personal TechPro is a full-spectrum tech support solution designed around how consumers actually behave. It brings together three layers of support in one accessible platform.

• Expert-guided video content covering the most common tech support topics, from casting smartphone video to a TV, to setting up smart home lighting, to switching to Gemini AI on Android — this is the self-serve format consumers are already gravitating toward, delivered with the credibility of trained Assurant agents
• A robust library of manuals and technical documentation, so customers who want to dig deeper have the resources to do it without leaving the brand ecosystem to find them
• Live expert agents available through online chat or a voice call because, sometimes, a human conversation is the only thing that will do

All of it is accessible via mobile app, web, or phone call on the customer’s schedule and on their terms. Customers can even schedule remote appointments for full out-of-box setup sessions for any connected device in their home. That’s not a coincidence. It’s a design decision rooted in the same consumer behavior data that shows people reach for their phones first when something goes wrong.

For the brands and retailers we work with, Personal TechPro isn’t just a support add-on. In fact, our major mobile carrier clients that use Personal TechPro experience roughly 50% reductions in 30- and 90-day program churn. At the core of that kind of performance is a branded customer experience layer that turns one of the most common friction points in device ownership, that moment when a customer thinks “I can’t figure this out,” into a moment of confidence and connection.

The bottom line on tech support as a loyalty strategy

Technology dependence is accelerating. Consumer frustration is real. And the brands that treat tech support as a strategic investment rather than a necessary cost are the ones that will differentiate on loyalty, retention, and brand trust.

The research is clear. The consumer behavior is already there. The question is whether your brand is showing up in that moment or leaving it to chance.

To learn more about how Personal TechPro can work for your business, connect with us.

Source: Assurant 2026 Global Connected Consumer Trends Report.