In a distant past life, I was a corporate customer service trainer for an automotive glass service company that grossed over $100 million dollars annually. My responsibility included training and auditing in 27 stores in 9 states. I later managed one of the top three grossing stores in the company. Consistently top 3. With great mentors, I worked from the ground up starting as a trainee technician and gained a fundamental understanding of the business.

I worked two years as a dispatch manager and customer service supervisor for the competitor that had the money to buy them.

Cause of Death: Terminal Efficiency Optimization

So my expectations as a customer are high. And frankly companies don’t care anymore. They just want the quick buck to prop up the sagging bottom line to please shareholders. Companies fail to pay decent wages and benefits to the people who are the customer interface. Burnout, and dread do not make for good customer service. Poor customer service makes for less customers and more automation to cut costs. This creates more burnout and turnover.

A Eulogy for Customer Service

I know I’m on a crusade for a minute. I’m almost ready to refocus on rocks and such, but I feel the calling to preach this too. So here is a eulogy for customer service.

We will continue to dial 0, forever hoping to speak to a ghost.

It is with a heavy heart and deep sadness that we announce the passing of Customer Service, a concept that has long been a pillar of commerce and goodwill. Born of a time when a handshake was a promise and a smile was a standard part of doing business, Customer Service passed away quietly in its sleep, surrounded by a tangle of automated phone menus and unanswered emails.

For decades, Customer Service was a friendly, reassuring presence. It was the human voice on the other end of the line, the person who stayed late to help you with a return, the expert who remembered your name and your last order. Customer Service made things right. It wasn’t just a department; it was a commitment to the people who kept businesses running. It valued relationships and believed that a loyal customer was more valuable than a quick sale.

In its youth, Customer Service flourished. From small town storefronts to global corporations, its influence was felt everywhere. Companies competed not just on price, but on the quality of their support. The phrase “the customer is always right” wasn’t a joke; it was a guiding principle.

But as time went on, Customer Service began to fade. Its health declined rapidly in the face of new technologies. It was systematically replaced by chatbots with scripted answers, endless automated phone trees, and “help” sections that offered everything except the one thing you actually needed: a real person.

Customer Service In the End….

Towards the end, Customer Service was a shadow of its former self. Its once-vibrant spirit was replaced by long hold times and repetitive, pre-recorded messages. When it did manage to show up, it was often overworked and under-resourced, a lone individual fighting against a tide of frustrated inquiries.

While many may mourn its loss, some have argued that Customer Service simply evolved, not died. They point to the rise of self-service portals, AI-driven solutions, and community forums. But let’s be honest, these aren’t the same. These are a different species entirely. They may offer efficiency, but they lack empathy. They provide information, but they cannot build trust, as they also provide misinformation in many cases.

Survived by Customer Experience & Customer Success

Customer Service is survived by its distant relatives: Customer Experience and Customer Success. While they carry on the family name, they lack the personal touch that made Customer Service so special. They measure satisfaction in data points, not in genuine connection.

So let’s take a moment to remember what we lost. Let’s remember a time when getting help didn’t feel like an epic quest. When you weren’t talking to a robot, but to a person who truly cared.

Rest in peace, old friend. You will be missed. We will continue to dial 0, forever hoping to speak to a ghost.

Thanks for Your Support!!

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The Death of Customer Service in an Infographic

A note about the infographic below: I used generative AI to help create this infographic so the numbers may or may not be right, but the sentiment is correct. Thanks!!