Zero customer service

It's a bold statement and a great place to start a debate among service leaders, service teams and customers alike! It brings out views from all perspectives. Let's take a look into this subject......which actually isn't a new concept.

For decades, companies treated customer service as a cost centre: built around call queues, scripted responses, and rigid escalation paths. The dominant model assumed that problems were inevitable and the goal was to resolve them efficiently. Success was measured in average handle time, closure rates, deflection performance and of course the cost to serve.

Today, that mindset is outdated, although there are still many organisations that use metrics that have been around forever. Leaders aren't sure where those metrics originated from and they provide diminishing insights and actions. Consumers are more informed and clear on their expectations, rather than being accepting of the service experience they're delivered.

In their 2011 book "The best service is no service" Bill Price and David Jaffe offered a new, game-changing approach, showing how organisations were using the wrong metrics to measure customer service. Customer service, they asserted, was only needed when something went wrong and that eliminating the need for service is the best way to satisfy customers. And while 2011 seems forever ago they were onto something. And what they said still stands true.

Today customers want and hope for seamless digital experiences from organisations and expect frictionless journeys. They don't want better apologies; they want fewer reasons to make contact. In a world where everyone seems to be busy all of the time and organisations are focused on reducing or deflecting contact, the idea that the best customer service is no customer service continues to gather momentum. Surely a win-win?

If only everything was that simple! Recent research shows that for all the digital channels that exist and the belief that 'people don't want to speak to people', being able call to an organisation still ranks of high importance for consumers. This can be to talk through a complex situation in detail, to get re-assurance or just to 'hear it from a human'. In these instances service is a necessity for the customer and adds value. So it's actually not about zero customer service, it's about scenario-based service. That is, there are some instances, either through customer demand or and organisational benefit, or both, where service is the best option.

The idea of zero customer service doesn't mean ignoring customers. It means designing products, policies, and processes so intuitive and reliable that support is rarely needed. Clear onboarding, proactive communication, transparent pricing, and self-serve tools eliminate confusion before it becomes a ticket. By shifting focus from reactive support to preventive design, companies reduce costs, increase loyalty, and build trust. When nothing goes wrong, service becomes invisible—and that's the ultimate standard of excellence.

The art of great service design is, as with many things, getting the right balance. Removing unnecessary customer or service advisor effort, not feeling the need to offer all the channels all the time and demonstrating value when you directly interact with your customers.

At Sooth Consulting we're experienced in exactly that. Take a look at some of our previous projects and get in touch if you want a conversation.