During the #custserv chat (every Tuesday, 9PM ET), we started this discussion:
@MarshaCollier: Should customer service should become a caste system, segmented by $$ spent? #custserv
@berkson0: caste system] it isn’t already? #custserv
@catykobe: Nope. Every customer is equally important regardless of how much they spend. #CustServ
The discussion then moved to Google+ to answer this paraphrased question:
Should Customer Service spend the same energy with every customer, or should it spend more time with customers who made larger purchases?
I adapted my answer to that question into this post.
As with any good question, the answer is “it depends”. There are at least two different angles to the answer.
Rationale 1: Spend as much time as necessary to solve the problem
The mission of Customer Service is to complete/ensure the delivery of value to customers. It can only be successful if it is fully committed to that goal.
If solving post-transaction problems is routinely taking time that makes the business non-viable, the root of the problem is elsewhere (badly designed product/service, unrealistic expectations).
Of course, everything has a limit. There are situations where Customer Service better “fire the customer” (as discussed in a recent #custserv chat).
Rationale 2: Optimize resources to maximize returns
Generally, businesses try to allocate resources so that it maximizes return. So it is natural that a company will spend more resources to address issues affecting a large portion of the business.
Spend more resources on bigger deals.
A new variable is that it is becoming difficult to measure the “lifetime value” of a customer relationship. As Social Media enables more peer-influence, that “small” customer might be the person who brings you or kill the deal of your life in the future.
My Point-of-View
In the most common scenario where Customer Service interventions are exceptions and not the rule (i.e. post-sale issues are relatively rare), I would advocate rationale 1: Focus on making the customer happy without looking at the meter.
Looking at customer service time based on size of the deal makes more sense in cases where post-transaction interventions are common, part of the usual transaction workflow in the business model.
Customer Service: You are not trying to save a transaction, you are keeping the company promise to its customers.
Marcio Saito 