Why underinvestment in Customer Support drives customers away
This National Customer Service Week, David Jones-Stanley, Customer Operations Director at Liaison Workforce, shares how the approach taken in customer service, as well as investment and follow-up, helps to strengthen the Customer Support experience...
7 October 2025
Let’s be honest, no one gets it right all the time! From many years in customer operations, support, implementation, and projects I know that even I don’t always get it right first time! But the truth is when things go wrong, much of the frustration can be minimised by how we deal with it afterwards.
This isn’t just opinion, there’s plenty of research to support it. In The Service Recovery Paradox (McCollough, Berry & Yadav, 2000), for example, the authors highlight that a well-handled mistake can actually build stronger customer loyalty than if nothing had gone wrong in the first place. And yet, what makes things infinitely worse is when companies underinvest in customer support.
Take a recent experience I had… I needed to contact a customer service team, and after two days of trying, I finally got through to a very nice and helpful person. Great, right? Well, not quite. When I needed a follow-up, I spent two hours on hold before the line dropped. I then had to speak to the Sales team, who, through no fault of their own, had no idea how to help me. What they did tell me, however, was that their support team was fielding hundreds of calls a day without enough people to answer the phones.
What struck me wasn’t just the lack of support, it was how freely this was shared, as if this was simply “how it is”.
As a Customer Operations Director myself, that mindset feels completely alien. To me, the idea that customers aren’t central to what you do as a business runs counter to my own values. However, many organisations in our industry fall into this trap. Once the product is sold, job done. But for us, the sale is just the beginning of the customer relationship.
This week is National Customer Service Week, and it’s a perfect time to shine a light on the brilliant work customer service teams do up and down the country. A particular shout-out goes to my team here at Liaison Group, who work tirelessly to make every interaction the best it can possibly be. Do we get it right every single time? Of course not. But with a Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) score of 95%+, we’re not doing badly at all. Just ask our clients…
Very satisfied with friendly and helpful people I came into contact with and very swift responses and actioning. Thank you again.
Rebecca from East Cheshire NHS Trust said that we are always on hand and respond very quickly to queries and our willingness to support and find answers is especially helpful.
My request was acknowledged, actioned and completed within one day and I had updates every step of the way. Excellent communication and speed.
Kelly from Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said that we are always happy to help and will respond in a timely manner and will go above and beyond to help in situations.
The reason we achieve this is simple; we invest in our support, people, and systems with the same seriousness as any other area of our business. A customer-first approach isn’t a slogan – it’s our foundation. We know that when customers feel supported, they build deeper trust with us, creating long-term partnerships rather than just short-term wins.
So, if you’re serious about growth, retention, and reputation, make customer support a true priority. Not as an afterthought. Not as a “nice to have”, but as a core part of who you are as a business.
And if you’re a customer reading this, here’s a challenge: take a step back and ask yourself, is the support you’re receiving really meeting your needs? Do you feel valued, listened to, and supported beyond the sale? If the answer is no, maybe it’s time to expect more.