Is Customer Service Dead or Just a Strategic Company Decision?
I love great customer service. I’m willing to pay a little more for a great experience. I’m one of those people who will share a great experience with others. I’ll even write about it. But many companies are pulling back on customer service, reducing resources, training, and automating support. It’s understandable to an extent. Hiring and retaining customer service staff is incredibly hard. The cost of training people is high. Customers are increasingly doing their research before they enter a store, and they don’t even want to talk to anyone at all — just find their item and get on with their day as quickly as possible. So it would make sense that there’s a contraction in customer service overall. However, are these companies dramatically shifting where their value lies? I’ll give you a real-world case.
I ran into Home Depot to pick up something I could use to repair a wooden bench that was damaged from rain and rot. I had an idea of the product I needed and found it quickly, being familiar with the store layout. Yet, they had a few different options on the shelf, and I wasn’t sure which would be most suitable. A young associate approached me asking if I needed any help and I took the opportunity to ask about the difference between two separate products. They were very polite, noting they weren’t sure, and took both items to ask a more experienced staff member. After returning, they said no one knew the difference and that the cheaper product was usually sold more frequently. They recommended I just look them both up online.
This isn’t a one-off case. More often than not, when entering a big box store, asking an associate whether they have a product, where a product is, or if they have a product that serves a specific need, they use their phone to search for the product on the company website, look up the aisle and location, and point you in that direction. Is this an issue? It depends on their business strategy and where they want their value to lie. In this instance, simply having a wide variety of products in stock and at the ready is the focus — almost like being the physical Amazon of home improvement.
In contrast, there’s a local hardware store a few miles away. Their staff are incredibly seasoned experts. They problem-solve on the spot. They provide deep, immersive customer service, and provide repair services for small and unique items in-house. But they have limited stock and choice. And they charge a little bit more for what they sell, due to the unique value they add. So does Home Depot have bad service? Or is it that they have a different approach to providing value?
We often talk about how “customer service is dead” and maybe that’s the case for some businesses. However, not all businesses care or focus on customer service as a differentiator. They may intentionally minimize it. But this isn’t just an oversight — it’s an intentional decision. But I’d argue that once a company starts eliminating its customer service, they’re simply losing another differentiator — one that is becoming harder and harder to find.
About the Author
Andrea’s 25-year, field-tested background provides practical, behavioral science approaches to creating differentiated, human-focused organizations. She is a 4x ADDY award-winner, TEDx presenter, and 3x book author. She led the strategic sales, marketing, and customer engagement efforts at two multi-national companies. She now leads a change agency dedicated to helping organizations differentiate their brands and engage customers using behavioral science.
In addition to writing and consulting, Andrea speaks to leaders and industry organizations worldwide. Please get in touch with Andrea to get information on her book, keynoting, research, or consulting. More information is also available at www.pragmadik.com or . www.andreabelkolson.com
Originally published at https://www.linkedin.com.
