Is Customer Service the New Marketing?

By on November 12, 2012

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Is Customer Service the New Marketing?

In today’s Yelpified-social media saturated world, consumers have become increasingly numb to traditional marketing efforts. This trend has caused diminished returns for advertising, PR and other marketing methods, while word of mouth and customer  recommendations increase in value.

So, are we nearing a time when investing in a Zappos-level of customer service will become be seen as better spend for the marketing dollar?

Beagle Research Group CEO Denis Pombriant will explore this question later this month with a panel of experts in a live online debate. Software Advice is hosting the event in a Google+ Hangout.

The group will answer four scripted questions before the discussion is turned to the audience. The questions include:

  1. Zappos is widely recognized for making customer service central to their culture. Leadership sees support not as a cost, but as an opportunity to market through personal connections with customers. This success is largely attributable to customer loyalty and word of mouth. So based on this, is customer service the new marketing?
  2. And where doesn’t this work? Who shouldn’t slash marketing budgets and put the customer first at all costs?
  3. What do we have to do to make this happen? What do companies have to do to implement such a monumental shift in strategy and culture?
  4. Clearly this is a strategy that pays out over the long term. How can a business measure this shift to ensure they are getting the right return on their shifting investment and priorities?

The event will take place on November 28 at 1 p.m. CST. Add Analyst Ashley Furness (the moderator) to your circle on Google+ and she will send you an event invite with more details.

(Cross-posted @ Beagle Research, LLC.)

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Well-known CRM analyst and thought leader, Denis has made contributions to our thinking about cloud computing, CRM, social media, analytics and mobility. He runs the Beagle Research Group, LLC and is co-founder and managing principal of The Bullpen Group. He frequently contributes to this and other outlets.

3 responses to “Is Customer Service the New Marketing?”

  1. Is Customer Service the New Marketing? – Enterprise Irregulars « fred zimny's designing design thinking driven operations
    Is Customer Service the New Marketing? – Enterprise Irregulars « fred zimny's designing design thinking driven operations November 13, 2012 at 9:59 am |

    [...] on http://www.enterpriseirregulars.com Share this:TwitterFacebookPrintStumbleUponPinterestGoogle +1TumblrLinkedInLike this:LikeBe the [...]

  2. servicedoctor
    servicedoctor November 13, 2012 at 11:13 am | | Reply

    A focus on short-term profitability and considering customer service an expense that must be reduced results in companies that give only lip service to customer service. The Zappos-like companies are only too happy to see their competitors not look at the big picture.

  3. Find the lastest What Is A Customer Service Culture News | Learn Customer Relation Building Top Tips
    Find the lastest What Is A Customer Service Culture News | Learn Customer Relation Building Top Tips November 14, 2012 at 1:41 am |

    [...] Find the lastest What Is A Customer Service Culture News Posted on January 11, 2012 by Is Customer Service the New Marketing? Zappos is widely recognized for making customer service central to their culture. Leadership sees support not as a cost, but as an opportunity to market through personal connections with customers. This success is largely attributable to customer … Read more on Enterprise Irregulars [...]

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