Future of Tech Support Survey Reveals Early Consumer Sentiment on Artificial Intelligence in Service and Support

Consumers Are Becoming More Cognizant and Comfortable Interacting with
Automated Customer Service Apps and Chatbots, According to New
Support.com Survey

REDWOOD CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Support.com,
Inc. (NASDAQ:SPRT), makers of Support.com^® Cloud software
for Support Interaction Optimization, and a leading provider of tech
support and turnkey support center services, today released a new report
uncovering consumer expectations for more personalized and automated
technology support in the near future. The survey found that while tech
support is improving, consumers have high expectations and want more
intelligent solutions in the next five years.

The
Future of Tech Support survey report tapped consumer sentiment
on emerging artificial intelligence-driven customer service and support
technologies like chatbots and self-healing products. Nearly a quarter
of consumers (22%) said they are aware when these automated customer
service representatives are providing tech support, and are comfortable
with the experience.

The report also found generational differences in consumer sentiment
about the future of tech support. Millennials are driving the
information-sharing trend with the understanding that data in context
helps create a better, more personalized customer support experience.
Data also shows that millennials prefer and are more open to using
automated, intelligent tech support options than older generations of
consumers.

Key findings outlined in The
Future of Tech Support include:

• 57% think tech support is better now than it was five years ago
• 70% expect the quality and convenience of tech support to improve over
  the next five years
• 31% of millennials think chatbots provide better, more efficient tech
  support; only 13% of older consumers agree
• 33% are willing to pay a premium for tech support rather than
  troubleshooting issues on their own
• 42% are comfortable sharing user data from devices and products if it
  enables companies to provide better tech support; 49% of millennials
  agree

“Technology support is at an inflection point. In fact, consumers
believe tech support is actually improving and it’s better than it was
five years ago,” explained Alex Poulos, VP of Marketing and Customer
Success at Support.com. “And consumers are optimistic about tech support
experiences in the future. Technology brands that understand where
customers will be in the future and start testing and deploying
intelligent technology support solutions today can stay one step ahead
of their customers – and their competition.”

Types of advanced support experiences consumers are expecting in the
future include:

• Concierge support: products that include dedicated customer support
  representatives available to assist through any communication channel
• Automated or virtual assistants: chatbots or voice-activated virtual
  assistants that provide answers to tech support questions
• Proactive support: products that notify consumers in advance about
  potential issues
• Self-healing products: products that fix issues automatically without
  any user interaction

“As the era of artificial intelligence in customer service and support
begins to emerge, the near-term solutions have great potential to drive
more productivity in the fielding and resolution of customer inquiries,”
Poulos continued. “The real power of artificial intelligence in the
future will be to use machines to learn from even the most complex
technical issues and to integrate data from multiple sources to deliver
a personalized, relevant and one-to-one support experience.”

Support.com surveyed over 2,000 U.S. consumers in August 2016 about
their experiences interacting with technology products and customer
support.

To read the full report, download The
Future of Tech Support.

About Support.com

Support.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPRT) is the leading provider of cloud
software and services to deliver next-generation technical support.
Support.com helps leading brands in software, electronics,
communications, retail, Internet of Things (IoT) and other connected
technology industries deepen their customer relationships. Customers
want technology that works the way it’s intended. By using Support.com
software and services, companies can deliver a fantastic customer
experience, leading to happier customers, greater brand loyalty and
growing revenues.

For more information, please visit http://www.support.com
or follow us @support_com.

Support.com, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. For more
information, visit http://www.support.com/about-us/careers.

© 2016 Support.com, Inc. All rights reserved. Support.com and the
Support.com logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Support.com,
Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Contacts

Public Relations Contact:
104 West Partners for Support.com
Emily
Walsh, +1 720-407-6064
PR@support.com
or
Investor
Relations Contact:
Support.com
Jacob Moelter, +1
650-556-8595
Investor Relations
Jacob.moelter@support.com