But as described above, the postulate here is that the future-oriented differentiation of customer service must take another substantial step forward and include an additional, qualitative dimension. In this setting, the question regarding the criteria according to which service differentiation is already being practiced today in the surveyed companies was of great interest in the Detecon study. Indeed, the customer value-based aspects dominated here as well: customer development potential (73%), customer turnover volume (72%), and customer profitability (64%). “Duration of the business relationship” (47%), “degree of customer loyalty” (45%), and “customers’ channel preference” (42%) trailed well behind. Nevertheless, the significance of these characteristics for differentiation of customer service clearly stands out by virtue of their widespread acceptance.

The differentiation approach based strictly on customer value broadly offers three different customer service strategies which can be used to serve the individual customer segment groups.

Reduce costs: This strategy pinpoints in particular customers with a low or negative CLV. Because the growth potential has been integrated into the CLV, a low CLV means that, as things currently stand, lucrative business will not be possible with these customers in the future any more than it is today. Since the revenue side cannot be increased, a rise in customer value must be achieved in this case by reducing service costs. The possible loss of unprofitable customer relationships is deemed to be acceptable.

Develop customers: In the case of customers with a high CLV resulting from great growth potential, the customer service strategy should build on the development of the business relationship. Current and future needs of the customers must be identified and realized so that the returns from the customer relationship develop as predicted.

Retain customers: Customers with a high CLV resulting from a currently high basic volume must be retained at all costs, and their bond to the company must be strengthened. The maximum transaction potential has already been realized in these customer relationships. The customer service strategy in this case must seek to secure a continuation of the customer relationship with the least possible disruption.

In practice, differentiation of the service concretely means that an appropriate service portfolio must be allocated to every customer profile on the basis of its value and needs characteristics, e.g.: