As someone who has spent years watching brands pour crores into advertising, I have just one question: why is customer service still treated like a stepchild? We spend millions convincing people to buy. But when they finally do, we leave them on hold for 10 minutes—or worse, hand them over to a clueless chatbot.
If advertising is about telling your customers how much you care, then customer service is your chance to prove it.
Let’s start with the data. Bain & Company says that increasing customer retention by just 5% can boost profits by 25% to 95%. And we all know that acquiring a new customer is 5 to 25 times more expensive than retaining one. Yet, while brands are busy obsessing over CTRs and impressions, they ignore the one place that truly defines brand loyalty: the customer service desk.
We craft the perfect 30-second ad, but we let a bad call center experience erase that goodwill in 30 seconds flat. That’s not just bad service—it’s bad business.
Let’s be real. The tools we use for customer service haven’t changed much in the last two decades—call centers, long email chains, and now, those robotic chatbots that nobody actually enjoys talking to.
Worse, the pandemic exposed just how outdated our systems are. Hold times skyrocketed. Call volumes exploded. And brands that were once loved saw their reputations sink because they simply couldn’t respond in time.
People waited for hours just to cancel a flight, file a claim, or get a refund. Brand loyalty took a nosedive—not because of the product, but because no one picked up the phone.
Let’s admit it: customer service isn’t sexy. There are no award shows for the best refund process or fastest complaint resolution. But maybe there should be.
Because great service doesn’t just fix a problem—it builds relationships, increases retention, and turns unhappy customers into brand advocates. Think about it: when was the last time you shared a great ad? Now, when was the last time you told five friends about terrible customer service? Exactly.
Some brands are beginning to get it. Take USAA in the US. After a car accident, their customers don’t get a complicated document—they get a personalised video explaining what to do, what’s covered, and how to file a claim.
Or look at Bell Mobility, which sends a welcome video explaining the first bill—something that usually confuses or annoys new users. It’s proactive, personal, and builds trust.
Delta Airlines went even further. They sent loyalty members a year-in-review video summarising their trips, miles, and benefits. It’s not just clever—it’s emotional. It reminds the customer why they chose you in the first place.
We need to stop thinking of customer service as something we "have to do" and start treating it as a brand-defining moment. Every touchpoint is a chance to reaffirm your promise. Every complaint is a chance to win back a customer. Every solved query is a piece of goodwill that advertising can’t buy.
In today’s digital world, your service experience is public. One angry tweet can go viral. One bad review can damage your brand more than any competitor’s ad campaign. So why wait for the damage when we can design better experiences upfront?
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It’s time we bring customer service into the spotlight. Let’s stop thinking of it as a cost centre and start seeing it as a growth engine.
Let’s get the best creative minds to design service experiences, not just advertising campaigns. Let’s invest in training, tools, and talent that turn every customer interaction into a moment of delight—not dread.
After all, a happy customer is your best campaign.
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