Especially during a time when staying at home is crucial for the safety of our communities, a reliable internet connection is more important than ever. Working from home has become the new normal, remote learning has taken over the traditional classroom education, and virtual hangouts have become our main form of social interaction. For one of our nation’s largest Internet service providers, these shifts in everyday life mean doing everything they can to help us stay connected so they turned to smart lockers.

The Problem – Keeping connections reliable and internet accessible.

With millions of customers, Comcast understands how essential it is to be prepared for the unexpected, especially when it comes to customer care and support. That is why AirLocker has been working hard with Comcast to enable their IT support and streamline their customer service since 2017

When your internet goes down or your network connection needs troubleshooting, Comcast will deploy one of its technicians if the issue needs to be fixed on-site. These technicians are spread all over the nation and are often the frontline team members for your neighborhood support.

They are, however, dependent on crucial IT equipment in order to fulfill their roles. Whether it’s a laptop computer or a desktop, a tablet or a smartphone, or other IT accessory, this equipment is traditionally stored in Comcast warehouses and issued by the Comcast IT support department. When a technician calls IT support and a replacement is deemed necessary, this needs to be pulled from the warehouse inventory and processed before it can be shipped to the technician. This process is inefficient and can leave the technician unable to work effectively for an extended period.

These technicians needed a faster, more reliable system that would bring the essential equipment closer to the staff that needs them.

The Solution – Secure, inventory tracking lockers for equipment distribution.

In response to this, Comcast asked the AirLocker team to design an agile, future-proof solution that would not only securely store equipment closer to the maintenance sites, but also include intelligent inventory tracking software that notifies the IT service department when items need to be restocked.

With hundreds of steel locker systems built for strength and security and an easy to-use-software application, AirLocker was able to create a network of smart lockers that continues to deliver even now, through the pandemic.

With the lockers deployed in easily accessible locations and stocked with critical equipment for technicians, the improved workflow now looks like this:

• A Comcast field technician calls the IT support department about an issue with his equipment.
• The support technician determines that a replacement product is needed for their field technician and enters the equipment details and customer location into the AirLocker system.
• The system searches nearby inventory, finds the closest smart locker to the customer that contains the requested equipment and reserves the equipment for the customer.
• The system then sends a QR release code via text and email to the technician along with a Google Maps link for directions.
• The technician can then drive to the smart locker, scan their release code, and immediately retrieve the replacement item.
• Both the request and pickup processes can be done within minutes, saving field technicians countless hours and allowing them to continue working with minimal interruption.

AirLocker’s solution also sends notifications to Comcast when items are out of stock and provides analytics to help eliminate delays in the restocking process.

Built for flexibility, scalability, and reliability, all AirLocker solutions are designed to quickly respond to any situation – including the one we find ourselves in today. Always trying to anticipate what our enterprise customers will need tomorrow, investing in the future has helped Comcast prepare for the unexpected.

The AirLocker solution has helped mobilize thousands of technicians and service representatives, allowing them to focus on supporting the businesses and residences that rely on them.