New Study Shows High Anguish And Anxiety With Computer Tech Support Due To Long Lag Time, Lack Of Ready Resolution

Nearly two thirds (64 percent) of consumers say their computer has caused them anxiety due in large part to frequent slowdowns and lengthy boot-up times, and more than 40 percent who use an outside computer support service are not happy with it or feel it costs too much. Despite this widespread computer-related stress and frustration, 94 percent depend on their computer in their daily lives, and 78 percent consider themselves computer-savvy.

The report released by the CMO Council's Customer Experience Board shows that so-called Computer Stress Syndrome is prevalent and caused by many factors:

Top sources of frustration with the tech support experience are long wait times, inability to fix problems and the cost of the service

Seventy-five percent are experiencing hours or more of downtime per year, and 40 percent are experiencing days or more

Top five impacts of computer failure include increased stress levels, interrupted work or play time, valuable lost data, dropped connections, and difficult online purchasing

Consumers use a variety of factors in order to evaluate and rank outside support services. Top factors in their decision include the cost of the service (43 percent), the skill of support technicians (40 percent), time to issue resolution (31 percent), 24/7 staff availability (27 percent), and wait times for service calls or appointments (20 percent).

In part, the problem of Computer Stress Syndrome may be exacerbated by the fact that many consumers are trying to cut costs by dealing with support issues by home-grown means. Almost two thirds are trying to fix problems themselves, asking a friend or family member, or doing nothing. And cost is the biggest consideration in evaluating alternatives.

More information on techical support services can be found at http://www.supportindustry.com/