The Internet of Things

No, I did not coin the phrase but I wish I had. Each time I start writing about training in this chaotic broadband world, there is a new device to think about, to inform, educate, install, and maintain.

The customer premise devices are making it difficult to maintain any control over the user experience.

Let me ask you, as a technical operations manager, you get a call that says the customer's washing machine can't talk to the Internet, your Internet. Or that the customer's kid's tablets are running slow connecting to YOUR Internet.

See, no matter what the problem really is, you run the Internet for them. You are the lightning rod.

So what are you going to do, hide your head in the sand? Tell them to call their manufacturer?

Oh yeah...can we say CHURN?

So, 2013 is not only The Year of the Internet of Things, it also has to be The Year of Learning how to Install, Configure, and Maintain the Internet of Things.

My, how the definition of CPE has grown; that single three- letter acronym, Customer Premise Equipment. No longer the realm of TVs, DVD players, tablets, smartphones, and computers, CPE now means: Thermostats, IP security cameras, Carbon monoxide alarms, fire alarms, burglar alarms, lighting controls, the refrigerator, washing machine, dryer, furnace, air conditioner, air cleaners, vacuums, blood pressure monitors, urine testers, toilets, ventilators, dog collars, litter boxes and sexual aids.

No, I am not advocating that we teach our technicians how to install configure and maintain the customer's sex toys.. wait, there may be an app for that... I am suggesting that every broadband provider consider the need for a document repository that grows and contains the instructions for any type of device a customer may try and connect to our networks.

One way or another, and that other way is usually through Google, the technician is going to leave the customer with a smile on their face. And, if you don't make it easy for the technician to do their job, they will take up a lot of time learning the same information over and over again.

That's money off the bottom line. That's a customer waiting for a tech because they are trying to figure out why the dryer isn't sending a text reporting that the clothes are dry or why the litter box isn't connecting to the Internet.

As I said, IT DOES NOT MATTER WHO MAKES THE CPE, if something goes wrong  it's the fault of YOUR INTERNET.

Here's what we recommend. 

• A set of YouTube Channel videos, in a few languages, that show the customer and the technician how install, configure, and maintain all sorts of CPE.
• A mobile-accessible knowledge base with manuals and diagrams and troubleshooting workflows.
• A lab, somewhere, that can be shared among all broadband providers, that tests and documents and rates the CPE's ability to work on all or systems.

Live long and prosper.