Essential Install | WyreStorm
Simpler, Faster, Stronger, Better –
Understanding The Customer Experience.
Christian Thomas, WyreStorm marketing communications manager, provides some.
Here’s a question for you, ‘What are your customers’
priorities and expectations when it comes to AV signal
distribution and control?’
It can be a tough question to answer. Then again, is this
even the question we should be asking? Often customers
either don’t know or have difficulty communicating what
they want because they don’t really understand what is and
isn’t possible with the technology available.
The reality is customers are really looking for ‘the
experience’: how they will feel when thinking about and
using an AV system. How they imagine themselves using
it. What they need without knowing they need it.
For example, the customer might want the latest 4K
HDR display with the highest bit rate, contrast and colour
specifications possible. But if an uninformed installer
specifies highly compressed 8 bit 4K over IP, the customer
experience will be way off their expectation. Many times
the customer is relying on the integrator to help them
fully understand the experience. Correctly interpreting or
anticipating responses lets the smart integrator tap into
a customer’s individual ‘experience’ before choosing a
solution that meets or ideally surpasses it.
Different customers have different expectations.
One might want the most optimised system for today’s
technology with the intention (and budget) to upgrade
in three years. Another might want something that
covers today yet be flexible, expandable and compatible
with tomorrow’s constantly changing technologies.
Not knowing which might cause one to be somewhat
underwhelmed with their system performance or
decidedly unimpressed if they need to upgrade a year
down the line to remain compatible with the latest devices.
We carefully develop WyreStorm products in line with
established industry and technology standards rather than
jumping on the bandwagon as soon as something new
appears. When it comes to chipsets, it’s better to be right
than first – early adoption of unproven technology is a
gamble nobody should make with AV distribution.
Expectations about how a system will function also
needs clear understanding to provide solutions that meet
them. A customer might not say they want their centrally
located sources to switch instantly in any location, but
you can be certain they’ll be decidedly unimpressed if
it takes three seconds or if they have to stare at a blank
screen while they wait. WyreStorm products feature
market-leading switching speeds of less than 500ms for
our NetworkHD™ AV over IP line and near-instantaneous
switching on our HDBaseT and HDMI matrix products
thanks to our QuickSync™ technology.
And what about reliability? Whether in a residential
or commercial environment, the expectation is that the
system works… every time. And so it should! Reducing
layers of connectivity and system complexity removes
potential points of failure - meaning less can go wrong.
This can be as simple as using technologies like PoE
or PoH found on nearly all WyreStorm products. Fewer
power supplies equals fewer potential problem points.
Reducing system connectivity and complexity can
also mean replacing multiple devices with different
functions with one device that includes multiple
functionality or connectivity, such as scalers or digital
to analogue converters. These are functions we roll into
single WyreStorm products for smarter, more efficient
installations with less levels of communication devices
needed to go through to carry out an action.
Some companies in our industry have the tendency
to over-specify applications, particularly if unsure about
the customers’ expectations. The temptation is to give
the customer more than they will use to cover all bases.
Not only does this result in bloated budgets and overly
complex systems, it can also complicate or even detract
from the customer experience.
For example, why specify an expensive control system
that does ‘everything’ when the customer only really wants
basic control of AV devices and lighting? WyreStorm’s
Enado control system and NetworkHD Touch were
specifically developed for common sense applications that
give the integrator options other than control overkill.
Simply put, focusing on the customers’ experience and
really understanding their expectations is essential to the
success of a project. And while we all love to talk about
the technology, the goal is to provide a solution that
meets the customers’ anticipated experience, get paid
and get on to the next project. Partnering with the right
supplier that understands this and can deliver on it does
half the work for you.
Think customer experience. Think one-manufacturer
solutions and technology ecosystems that reduce
the devices and connectivity you need by combining
features within individual products for a greater
reliability and user experience. WyreStorm solutions
succeed where others have failed. The smart money lies
with the integrator who can identify and fully understand
the needs of their clients and provide a solution that
meets or exceed them every time.
More Information: WyreStorm +44 (0)1793 230343,
www.wyrestorm.com
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