7 Customer Relationship Examples to Boost Your Business Model Canvas

Customer relationship is one of the key elements of a business model canvas. It describes how a company interacts with its customers and creates value for them. In this article, we will show you seven customer relationship examples from different industries and explain how they can help you improve your business model canvas.

Key Takeaways

Customer relationship is one of the key elements of a business model canvas that describes how you interact with your customers and create value for them.

Customer relationship can help you differentiate yourself from your competitors, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, reduce customer churn and acquisition costs, generate word-of-mouth and referrals, increase customer lifetime value and profitability, create new revenue streams and opportunities for upselling and cross-selling, co-create value with your customers and involve them in your innovation process.

You can use seven customer relationship examples from different industries as inspiration for your own business model canvas: membership program (Amazon Prime), personalized recommendations (Netflix), loyalty program (Starbucks), community platform (Airbnb), brand affinity (Apple), customer service (Zappos), co-creation (Lego).

What is a business model canvas?

A business model canvas is a tool that helps entrepreneurs and innovators design and test their business ideas. It consists of nine building blocks that cover the main aspects of a business: value proposition, customer segments, channels, customer relationships, revenue streams, key resources, key activities, key partnerships, and cost structure.

A business model canvas helps you visualize your business idea, identify your assumptions, and validate them with experiments. It also helps you communicate your value proposition to your stakeholders and potential customers.

What is customer relationship?

Customer relationship is one of the building blocks of a business model canvas. It refers to the type of relationship that a company establishes with its customers. It can range from personal to automated, from transactional to long-term, from self-service to co-creation.

Customer relationship influences how customers perceive your value proposition, how loyal they are to your brand, and how much they are willing to pay for your products or services. It also affects your customer acquisition and retention costs, as well as your revenue streams.

Why is customer relationship important?

Customer relationship is important because it can help you:

Differentiate yourself from your competitors
Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty
Reduce customer churn and increase retention
Generate word-of-mouth and referrals
Increase customer lifetime value and profitability
Create new revenue streams and opportunities for upselling and cross-selling
Co-create value with your customers and involve them in your innovation process

7 Customer Relationship Examples

Here are seven customer relationship examples from different industries that you can use as inspiration for your own business model canvas:

1. Amazon Prime: Membership Program

Amazon Prime is a subscription-based service that offers customers various benefits, such as free shipping, access to video and music streaming, exclusive deals, and more. Amazon Prime creates a strong customer relationship by providing value-added services that increase customer loyalty and retention. It also generates recurring revenue streams for Amazon and encourages customers to buy more products from its platform.

2. Netflix: Personalized Recommendations

Netflix is a video streaming service that offers customers access to a large library of movies and TV shows. Netflix creates a personalized customer relationship by using data and algorithms to recommend content that matches each customer’s preferences and behavior. It also allows customers to rate and review the content they watch, as well as create multiple profiles for different users. Netflix’s personalized recommendations increase customer satisfaction and engagement, as well as reduce churn and acquisition costs.

3. Starbucks: Loyalty Program

Starbucks is a coffee chain that offers customers a variety of beverages and food items. Starbucks creates a loyal customer relationship by offering a loyalty program that rewards customers with points, free drinks, discounts, and other perks. It also allows customers to order and pay online, customize their drinks, and enjoy free Wi-Fi at its stores. Starbucks’s loyalty program increases customer frequency and spending, as well as enhances its brand image and reputation.

4. Airbnb: Community Platform

Airbnb is a platform that connects travelers with hosts who offer accommodation in their homes or other properties. Airbnb creates a community-based customer relationship by enabling customers to interact with each other through reviews, ratings, messages, and social media. It also provides customers with various tools and resources to facilitate their travel experience, such as guides, tips, insurance, and support. Airbnb’s community platform increases customer trust and confidence, as well as creates a sense of belonging and identity.

5. Apple: Brand Affinity

Apple is a technology company that offers customers a range of products and services, such as iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple Watch, Apple TV, AirPods, iTunes, iCloud, Apple Music, Apple Pay, and more. Apple creates a brand-affinity customer relationship by offering customers high-quality products that are designed to work seamlessly together. It also provides customers with an ecosystem of services that enhance their user experience, such as the App Store, iMessage, FaceTime, Siri, Apple Care, etc. Apple’s brand affinity increases customer loyalty and advocacy, as well as creates a premium pricing strategy.

6. Zappos: Customer Service

Zappos is an online retailer that sells shoes and clothing. Zappos creates an exceptional customer service relationship by offering customers free shipping both ways, a 365-day return policy, a 24/7 call center, and a culture of delivering happiness. It also surprises customers with upgrades, gifts, and personal touches. Zappos’s customer service increases customer satisfaction and retention, as well as generates word-of-mouth and referrals.

7. Lego: Co-Creation

Lego is a toy company that offers customers building blocks and sets that can be used to create various models and structures. Lego creates a co-creation customer relationship by involving customers in its innovation process. It allows customers to submit their own ideas for new products, vote and comment on other ideas, and buy the products that are approved and produced. It also encourages customers to share their creations online and join its fan community. Lego’s co-creation increases customer involvement and loyalty, as well as creates new value propositions and revenue streams.

Tips

Customer relationship is not a one-time event, but a continuous process that requires constant attention and improvement.

Customer relationship is not only about what you do for your customers, but also about how you make them feel.

Customer relationship is not only about transactions, but also about emotions, stories, and experiences.

Customer relationship is not only about you, but also about your customers and their networks.

Customer Relationship in Business Model Canvas

Customer relationship is one of the nine components of the business model canvas that describes how a company interacts with its customers and creates value for them. It is closely related to the customer segments component, as different segments may require different types of relationships. Customer relationship can have a significant impact on customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention, as well as on the cost and revenue streams of the business.

Types of Customer Relationship

There are many types of customer relationship that a company can establish with its customers, depending on its goals, value proposition, and customer needs. Some common examples are:

Personal assistance: This involves direct human interaction between the company and the customer, such as face-to-face meetings, phone calls, or email consultations. This type of relationship can provide personalized advice, guidance, or support to the customer, but it can also be costly and time-consuming for the company.

Self-service: This involves providing the customer with the tools and resources to solve their own problems or needs, without any direct human contact from the company. This type of relationship can reduce costs and increase efficiency for the company, but it may also require more investment in technology and user experience design.

Automated service: This involves using technology to automate some aspects of the customer interaction, such as personalization, recommendations, or feedback. This type of relationship can combine the benefits of self-service and personal assistance, by offering customized and timely service to the customer, while saving costs and resources for the company.

Communities: This involves creating a platform or a network where customers can interact with each other and with the company, such as online forums, social media groups, or events. This type of relationship can foster trust, loyalty, and advocacy among customers, as well as generate valuable insights and feedback for the company.

Co-creation: This involves involving customers in the creation or improvement of products or services, such as through crowdsourcing, feedback loops, or user-generated content. This type of relationship can increase customer engagement, satisfaction, and loyalty, as well as enhance innovation and differentiation for the company.

Importance of Customer Relationship

Customer relationship is an important component of the business model canvas because it can affect both the value proposition and the revenue streams of the company. A good customer relationship can:

Increase customer satisfaction and loyalty: By providing customers with positive and consistent experiences, a company can build trust and rapport with them, which can lead to repeat purchases, referrals, and word-of-mouth marketing.
Reduce customer acquisition and retention costs: By retaining existing customers and attracting new ones through referrals or advocacy, a company can lower its marketing and sales expenses, as well as increase its profitability and lifetime value per customer.
Enhance differentiation and competitive advantage: By offering unique or superior value to customers through personalized or customized service, a company can stand out from its competitors and create a loyal customer base that is less sensitive to price or substitutes.

Examples of Customer Relationship in Business Model Canvas

To illustrate how customer relationship can be applied in practice, here are some examples of companies that use different types of customer relationship in their business model canvas:

Amazon: Amazon uses a combination of self-service and automated service to provide its customers with convenient and personalized online shopping experiences. It also leverages communities and co-creation to generate reviews, ratings, recommendations, and feedback from its customers.

Netflix: Netflix uses automated service to provide its customers with personalized entertainment experiences based on their preferences and behavior. It also uses communities and co-creation to generate user-generated content, such as ratings, reviews, comments, and suggestions.

Starbucks: Starbucks uses personal assistance to provide its customers with friendly and customized coffee experiences. It also uses communities and co-creation to engage its customers through social media platforms, loyalty programs, events, and feedback mechanisms.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is the difference between customer relationship and customer segment?

A: Customer segment is the group of customers that you target with your value proposition, while customer relationship is the type of interaction that you establish with them.

Q: How do I choose the best customer relationship for my business?

A: You should choose the customer relationship that matches your value proposition, your customer segment, your revenue streams, and your cost structure. You should also test your assumptions and validate them with experiments.

Q: Can I have more than one customer relationship for my business?

A: Yes, you can have different customer relationships for different customer segments or different products or services. For example, Amazon has a membership program for its Prime customers, a personalized recommendation system for its regular customers, and a self-service platform for its sellers.

Q: How do I measure the effectiveness of my customer relationship?

A: You can measure the effectiveness of your customer relationship by using metrics such as customer satisfaction, loyalty, retention, churn, lifetime value, referral rate, net promoter score, etc.

Q: How do I improve my customer relationship?

A: You can improve your customer relationship by listening to your customers’ feedback, understanding their needs and expectations, delivering value and quality consistently, exceeding their expectations, rewarding their loyalty, involving them in your innovation process, etc.

References:

http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Business_Model_Canvas

https://www.strategyzer.com/canvas/business-model-canvas

https://hbr.org/2014/01/why-the-lean-start-up-changes-everything