Quick Answer
For search, voice, and "just tell me what to do".
Dollar for dollar, investment in support quality often outperforms advertising or discounts for customer acquisition and retention. Great support converts at higher rates, retains longer, and generates referrals—all at lower cost than paid acquisition.
Key Takeaways:
- Support quality affects conversion rates
- Retention is cheaper than acquisition
- Referrals from support are free
- Trust-based loyalty outlasts discount loyalty
- Support investment has compounding returns
Playbook
Calculate acquisition cost vs. support investment
Track support impact on conversion
Measure retention value of support quality
Compare referral cost to paid acquisition
Reallocate budget based on ROI
Common Pitfalls
- Over-investing in ads while under-investing in support
- Discounting without fixing support issues
- Ignoring retention in favor of acquisition
- Not tracking support ROI
Metrics to Track
Cost per acquisition by channel
Retention rate by support quality
Referral rate and value
Overall customer acquisition cost
FAQ
Should I cut ad spend to invest in support?
Test it. Many businesses find shifting budget from acquisition to retention/support improves overall ROI. Start with experiments that measure support investment impact vs. equivalent ad spend.
Related Reading
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