Technology: The New Frontier (for some)
by Bill Rose, SSPA Founder and Executive Director

SSPA members live and breathe technology. It’s become a large part of most of our lives. We take technology for granted in a lot of ways but not all industries are as techno-savvy as we are. But time changes everything and the more I pay attention to what’s happening around me, the more I realize that everything is being technologized. Most of the everyday things we come in contact with have embedded technology components. That embedded technology has become critical to the success of just about everything we use and depend upon.

The good news is that as more technology is implemented in new products, the greater the need for technical support, particularly in industries that are just beginning to embrace available technologies. Three recent experiences made this point clear to me.

When was the last time you went into a bank for service? I can’t remember the last time I actually entered a bank. Banks have become like post offices, I can get to the services I need without ever going in. Not only do I use ATMs, I’m also a home banking user. So, at any time, I can check my accounts, pay bills, and more. A couple of weeks ago, late one night, I decided to pay a bill online. I accidentally entered an extra zero in the amount (it happens) than I should have and hit the “Send” button. Moments later, when I realized my mistake, I hit the panic button and immediately tried to stop the transaction but it was too late. My next step was to pick up the phone and try to reach someone at the bank. That doesn’t work at midnight.

The point is that banking has added features through technology and those features require technical support and new business processes. In my situation, the tech support I needed was every bit as mission-critical (to me) as for any other business. I needed to get that payment back.

Then, during one of my frequent business trips, the hotel I stayed in touted free wireless hotspots throughout the lobby. Being a wireless user, I naturally pulled out my laptop and tried to connect -- multiple times without success. Try as I might, I couldn’t get connected, so I went to the front desk for help.

I understand that hotels have traditionally been in the business of selling rooms, food, and so on. Now they’re suddenly also in the business of being technology providers, but not very well prepared for the rigors of quality support. In my case, the person at the front desk told me I had to go to the bell desk because the bellmen take care of the lobby’s Internet hotspots. The bellman, who just weeks or months before was responsible only for customer luggage, was now in back trying to reset the hotel’s wireless services. That bellman had just unknowingly become a tech support specialist -- not by choice and not by training.

Most hotels have taken the big step into technology without hiring appropriate support specialists. To be fair, I’m relatively sure the hotel has IT staff or a contractor responsible for its technology but on this day, the bellman was my tech support specialist.

Finally, we all know how much technology has been embedded in cars over the last several years. My car is no different and when I went out to start my car to go to the office, the battery was dead. Not a big problem. I just called roadside assistance and they came right out. That was the good news. The technician replaced the battery and then came the bad news. “There’s a problem and we need you to take your car into our service department for a software upgrade,” he said. Apparently, a software glitch had caused a drain on the battery.

I scheduled an appointment and took the car in for the necessary service. When I got there, the service manager said, “The challenge in fixing your car is that Jim is the only one who knows anything about the software and he isn’t in today.” The dealership has 17 mechanics but only one of them knows anything about the software and how to upgrade and support it. More technology is embedded into automobiles every year and yet, the service staff at this dealership hasn’t been upgraded to include more people who understand software.

The point to these mini-stories is that technology is just about everywhere and we’re going to continue to find opportunities to embed technology to improve the products and services we consume. That continuing trend means there will also be a corresponding increase in the need for technical support professionals. The SSPA is positioned in the right place and time to help members take advantage of the shift. As an industry, tech support should help other industries learn what it takes to support the technology they use. Bankers, hotel clerks, and automobile mechanics are just beginning to embrace technology and will face some of the same challenges and struggles supporting that technology that we’ve already overcome. We should take the lead in providing guidance and established processes to ease their transition and help these industries learn how to support their embedded technologies.

Where do you see technology used or embedded that you’ve never seen it before? What industries or products are just beginning to embrace technology to improve their offerings? If you have answers to these questions or other comments, drop me a note, brose@thesspa.com. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Bill Rose
SSPA Founder/Executive Director