“We are experiencing a high volume of calls right now, and all of our customer service representatives are currently unavailable.”
And then it hits: hold music. It’s Greensleeves.
Again.
By the 27th time it’s played, you’ve truly lost the will to live.
If experiencing bad customer service makes you want to scream into a pillow, we’ve all been there. It sucks.
How can customer service still be this bad in 2025? (Looking at you, energy companies*.) It’s such a turn off and a surefire way to get customers voting with their feet. But can good customer service inspire the opposite?
You bet it can. And if you’re an eCom brand we’ll even go so far to say we think it can be your biggest differentiator.
*some of them you’ll see, anyway
Great customer service can keep churn low, boost lifetime value (LTV) and turn one-off buyers into some of your best customers.
When people feel supported and are given helpful information about your product, they tend to spend more, come back for more – and they tell their friends about you (hello, reduced acquisition costs!)
If you’re giving customers advice about how your product works or aftercare before they buy, then they’re also less likely to make any returns.
And for high-ticket items, great service can help edge them towards the checkout and be the difference between “I’m not sure” to “OK, here are my card details”.
VIP-style service for everyday customers
A Zoom call with a stylist to find the perfect fit; a chat with a nutritionist to build a personalised plan; a real-time nudge asking if you need help choosing a size before you abandon your cart for the third time.
These are just some of the proactive ways brands can differentiate through excellent customer service (in the above examples a fashion and a wellness brand). Consider a dedicated customer service team or person which can elevate all your customers’ experiences, not just your VIPs.
Surprise and delight
Customer service is of course about answering questions and fixing problems but it’s also about how you make people feel.
Sometimes, the best way to do that is with a green teddy bear. Huh? Well that’s what AO.com does. When the team knows that children are present in a house they’re delivering to, they drop one of their teddy bears round.
A little surprise and delight can go a long way.
Boots is another example, it sends unexpected samples to Advantage Card holders.
Great customer service should be about going above and beyond and showing you care, even when you don’t have to.
Post purchase experience
A simple “your order’s on the way” is not customer service. If done well the post-purchase experience can be a golden opportunity to build bridges with your customers.
What about sharing a video on how to set your product up? What about tips on how to make the most out of the product? How about a quick explainer on what to do if something’s not quite right – something preemptive, not reactive.
Plus it’s another chance to double down on your story, values and the people behind your business.
Customer service might not sound like a marketing strategy, but Octopus Energy has made it theirs. Their entire brand is customer centric. Their ads feature real customers raving about them, their growth is fuelled by referrals – and reportedly – refunds and bill enquiries are handled calmly and positively (according to some S&T employees who happen to be customers).
When good service builds trust and trust drives retention – even a 5% increase can boost profits between 25% to 95%.
What sort of agency would we be if we didn’t mention AI!
AI can be a powerful tool for customer service and save teams valuable time, but when it has been poorly implemented it can – quite frankly – do more harm than good. Customers are not idiots; they know how to spot a bot, and they’ll be quick to let you know that it’s terrible. Especially if it swears at them.
AI should be there to support, not replace human interaction. If your bot can’t solve an issue, then don’t make escalating it to a real person difficult.
And as a final point, it’s worth remembering this: brands often overestimate their own customer experience.
The only way to know if it’s good is to test it yourself – yes, that’s right – mystery shop your own brand. Walk through the buying and return journey yourself. Then compare it to your competitors.
And, if you find your customer service is driving you to Greensleeves-level despair, imagine what it’s doing for your actual customers.
There’s a better way to greet your customers than hold music and apologies.
Want to make customer service your competitive edge? Get in touch – we’re happy to help (and promise not to put you on hold).
This post is part of our Beyond Bargains series which shows how eCom brands like you can win hearts (and repeat purchases) by adding value, without discounting.