Customer service exists to minimize cost, not maximize trust.

Metrics like deflection and containment are KPIs, not success measures.

Incentives are misaligned, focusing on speed and cost, not customer satisfaction.

Executives prioritize efficiency and cost reduction over customer trust.

Customer service is succeeding at cost containment, not satisfaction.

"Trust isn't measured by KPIs."

"Friction is a filter, not a bug."

"Layer by layer, humans disappear."

00:00 The real reason customer service fails

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Customer service is not broken.

It is working exactly as designed.

You are not stuck in a phone tree because someone made a mistake.
You are not looping in a chatbot because the company is confused.
You are in the maze because the maze works.

I say this as a former operator. I helped build these systems. I approved the budgets. I saw the math.

Customers experience frustration.
Companies experience efficiency.

In this first episode of Hold Court, I explain why service feels worse — and why that isn’t an accident.

This is about incentives.
This is about margins.
This is about design.

If you want to understand why the system feels hostile, start here.

Book: HOLD: THE SUFFERING ECONOMY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE — And the Revolt That’s Long Overdue
Website: waitingforservice.com