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There appears to be an understanding in the corporate offices of one major brand that suggests customers only care about lower prices. This particular brand once promoted its community involvement, its attention to customer service and the overall customer experience. These elements are no longer mentioned as the belief appears to be that the customer is all about price.

Such a strategy suggests that customers don’t care how they are treated, the inconvenience they might experience or even the appearance of the store, as long as they get the best price. One has to question whether or not this is truly a sustainable strategy.

A recent blog by customer service software provider TeamSupport suggests that customers want so much more. For one thing, they want better interaction. This is especially true in the corporate environment where vendors aren’t always readily accessible for conversation. Sure, their support teams are on the job, but seamless communication with those who could improve operations tends to be lacking.

Customers also want companies to be more transparent. As we have access to infinite amounts of information, there doesn’t appear to be a saturation point. We are always yearning for more, putting the pressure on vendors to provide that information. The same is true when a problem occurs – we just want to know that it’s being handled and that a resolution will quickly be in place. Such transparency is critical in the vendor/customer relationship to ensure longevity.

Companies may have a variety of reasons for implementing customer service software. It may be as simple as streamlining processes for the agent base or more complex as disparate systems need to be integrated. The point is that such deployments lead to happier and more engaged customers. These customers enjoy their interactions and are therefore much more likely to remain loyal and tell their friends.

A clear focus on customer service is not an inexpensive endeavor. In fact, a number of organizations will maintain basic strategies just to control costs while keeping customers at a level that doesn’t turn into loyalty. It’s more of a survival approach to customer care instead of one that is focused on developing those customer relationships into something sustainable. It’s a primary reason why the investment in customer service software makes sense.

At the end of the day, it’s much easier to make investments where you’ll see a rapid return. The smart money, however, is on investments in the customer base to ensure they stick around for the long haul.