When did businesses stop looking after customers and start looking after systems instead?
Somewhere along the way, businesses decided that technology, automation and digital transformation were going to make customer service better, faster and more efficient.
And, to be fair, in some respects they have.
But somewhere between introducing automated telephone systems, AI chatbots, online helpdesks and endless customer service portals, something rather important disappeared.
The customer
Let’s be honest. How many times have you contacted a company recently and found yourself spending more time trying to get through its customer service system than actually resolving the problem?
Press 1 for sales. Press 2 for accounts. Press 3 for technical support. Press 4 if you want to listen to the same music for the next 20 minutes. And press 5 if you would actually like to speak to a human being, although that option, apparently, is no longer available.
Welcome to modern customer service!
Technology was supposed to make life easier. So what went wrong?
IT departments have done an extraordinary job of introducing efficiencies into businesses. Systems have become more sophisticated, processes more automated and customer interactions increasingly digitised.
But efficiency for the business does not necessarily mean a better experience for the customer.
Somewhere along the way, businesses became obsessed with reducing the cost of customer interactions rather than improving the quality of them.
We have replaced conversations with ticket numbers, relationships with automated responses and common sense with standard operating procedures.
A customer with a genuine problem is now expected to navigate a system designed around the convenience of the company, not the needs of the customer.
And when the system fails, the customer is often left explaining the same problem to three different departments, none of whom appear to have the authority, inclination or ability to resolve it.
Technology isn’t the problem itself. Poorly considered implementation is.
AI, automation and digital platforms should support customer service professionals, not become an excuse for businesses to employ fewer people, remove accountability or make themselves harder to contact.
We’ve confused customer service with processing transactions
There is a significant difference between processing a customer enquiry and actually looking after a customer.
Processing an enquiry means acknowledging an email, generating a reference number and moving it into a queue.
Looking after a customer means understanding the problem, taking ownership and doing whatever is reasonably necessary to resolve it.
One is administration. The other is customer service.
And the difference can have a considerable impact on a company’s reputation, customer retention and ultimately its bottom line.
Customers don’t necessarily expect perfection. They understand that mistakes happen, deliveries get delayed, products occasionally fail and problems arise.
What they don’t appreciate is being ignored, passed around or treated as an inconvenience when they need help.
Sometimes, all a customer wants is someone to say:
“I understand the problem. Leave it with me. I’ll take responsibility for getting this sorted.”
What a revolutionary concept!
IT has automated the interaction. Sales needs to rebuild the relationship
This is where I believe Sales has an increasingly important role to play.
Traditionally, salespeople have been responsible for winning new business, developing accounts and generating revenue. Customer service departments have looked after the customer once the sale has been completed.
But perhaps that distinction needs to change.
The best salespeople understand that securing an order is only the beginning of a commercial relationship.
They understand their customers’ businesses, know what matters to them, communicate regularly and, importantly, pick up the phone when something goes wrong.
They don’t hide behind an automated email or tell a customer to submit a ticket.
They get involved.
They chase the delivery, speak to the relevant department, find the person who can make a decision and keep the customer informed.
Why? Because they understand something that businesses sometimes seem to have forgotten:
Keeping an existing customer happy is every bit as important as winning a new one
In fact, it can be considerably more valuable.
Customer service is a sales opportunity, not a cost centre
Businesses spend enormous amounts of money attracting new customers. Marketing campaigns, sales teams, exhibitions, advertising and business development all compete for investment.
Yet when it comes to looking after the customers they already have, some organisations seem determined to spend as little as possible.
That is a strange commercial strategy.
A customer who receives excellent service is more likely to buy again, recommend your business and remain loyal when a competitor comes knocking.
Equally, a customer who has a poor experience may never complain. They simply take their business elsewhere.
And you might never know why.
There is also a huge commercial opportunity in having salespeople actively involved in customer service.
A conversation about a problem can become an opportunity to understand a customer’s changing requirements, identify additional needs and develop new business.
But that only happens when there is a genuine relationship.
You cannot build one through an automated response saying, “Your enquiry is important to us.”
The human touch is becoming a competitive advantage
As more businesses automate their customer interactions, genuine human contact is becoming increasingly valuable.
Being able to speak to someone knowledgeable, approachable and empowered to make decisions is no longer something customers should have to fight for. It should be part of the service.
Companies that recognise this will have an advantage.
They will invest in people who can communicate, listen, empathise and solve problems. They will empower employees to take ownership rather than force every decision through another layer of management approval.
And they will recognise that customer service is not simply the responsibility of one department.
It is everyone’s responsibility.
IT should provide the tools. Operations should deliver the service. Customer service should resolve problems. And Sales should ensure that the relationship continues long after the invoice has been paid.
Perhaps it is time to bring back some old-fashioned business values
I’m not suggesting we abandon technology, return to handwritten order books or employ an army of people answering telephones.
Technology has its place, and a very important one.
But we need to remember why businesses exist in the first place: to serve customers, solve problems and provide products or services that people actually want to buy.
The companies that succeed in the future won’t necessarily be those with the most sophisticated IT systems or the cleverest AI chatbots.
They will be the companies that understand how to combine technology with people who genuinely care about their customers.
Because ultimately, customers don’t buy your IT system. They don’t care how many departments you have or how efficient your internal processes are.
They care about the experience they receive.
And when that experience is poor, no amount of automation will save the relationship.
Customer Service isn’t dead because technology has advanced. It’s dying because businesses have forgotten that people buy from people
Perhaps it’s time for Sales to pick up the phone, get out from behind the CRM, reconnect with customers and remind businesses what good customer service actually looks like.
After all, winning the customer is only half the job.
Keeping them is where the real salesmanship begins
