Home security satisfaction has increased, thanks to integration with Internet-connected smart home technology, according to a study from J.D. Power.
The J.D. Power 2018 Home Security Satisfaction Study found that overall customer satisfaction with home security systems is 834 on a 1,000 point scale. That’s an increase of 3 points over last year and makes home security the fourth highest rated industry tested by the firm this year.
“Sleek touch-screen control panels and the ability to operate the system through mobile devices have become the two most popular home security system interfaces for consumers and they are playing a key role in driving higher levels of customer satisfaction because they simplify the use of the system,” said Christina Cooley, the Director of the Home Improvement and Technology Practice at J.D. Power, in a press release. “When compared with other connected services that come into the home—such as cable TV, telephone and utilities—home security is far and away the leader in customer satisfaction, indicating that this industry understands the needs of consumers and is evolving quickly to address changing preferences.”
Home Security Satisfaction
The study touched on feature availability, usability and high-level drivers of the category. Key findings:
- Availability of smart home features becomes elemental in driving satisfaction: A total of 49% of home security system customers have smart home features integrated with their systems, up from 44% last year. Among all home security system providers evaluated in the study, overall satisfaction is higher when customers have smart home features integrated with their systems.
- Touch screens and mobile phone operation improve usability: The two most common methods of operating a security system are touch-screen control panels installed in the home (56%) and mobile devices (40%). Customers whose systems use either of these methods say the systems are “less complicated” to use in comparison with other ways of controlling the system.
- Peace of mind and property protection are top purchase drivers: The primary reasons customers purchase home security systems are “peace of mind” (60%) and to “protect property” (56%). These reasons far exceed such incentives as “discounts on insurance” (20%) and “wanted to get a newer, more up-to-date system” (21%).
The home security satisfaction survey also gauged provider satisfaction. The top three finishers were Brinks Home Security (852), AT&T Digital Life (847) and Vivint Smart Home (839).
Home security has been around for years, but it is getting a boost from the emergence of smart homes. This spring, Parks Associates found that 19% of people who have not bought a home security system are more likely to if the system is controllable by a smartphone. In June, Ring – which had been acquired by Amazon – said it would launch a home alarm and monitoring service. In September, Parks Associates said that about 7.7 million all-in-one networked/IP cameras worth about $889 million will be sold in the United States this year.
