Obviously if the product / service isn’t properly tested and proven before it goes out the door, there’s a very good chance that faults in the product will come back to bite you later — not to mention affecting your credibility and customer satisfaction. So do you want to rush the product out the door to meet a self-imposed deadline, or ask for forgiveness / understanding from your customers so you can take the time to get it right?

The customer service process, and adequate CSR training, staffing and management, obviously need to be in place (and constantly monitored) to handle inquiries about / support for all existing and future products. Nothing can ruin a good product, or a previously good customer relationship, faster than poor customer service. Not to mention the time that has to be spent putting out fires.

I worked in marketing for a company** that was a market leader in its category but whose very survival was severely compromised by wretched customer service. Existing customers were being blown up faster than the sales department could bring in new customers. Sales were screaming to management about the situation but their voices were not being given sufficient weight. (Unfortunately management was getting second-hand information that “everything was OK” rather than investigating the situation firsthand.) One of the lessons I took away from this was that customer service should be a top-tier process with a direct report to both the CEO and the CMO, rather than being buried further down the hierarchy.

**Come to think of it, more than one company. A tech company as referred to above, a service company several years earlier.