Service as a growth strategy
As customers connect with businesses through messaging platforms like Apple Messages for Business, service becomes an opportunity for growth
For too long, customer service has been treated as a back-office function, a cost to be managed rather than an opportunity to grow. While companies have poured resources into sales and marketing to drive growth, they’ve treated customer service as a necessary but secondary function. It was about efficiency, not impact.
That mindset no longer works. In today’s experience-driven economy, growth doesn’t come only from winning new customers; it comes from keeping the ones you already have. And the key to retention isn’t just having a good product; it’s the quality of every interaction a customer has with your brand. Service, in this context, becomes the frontline of growth.
Customers today measure every interaction against the best experience they’ve ever had. They don’t care about your internal processes; they care about speed, ease, and trust. They want the flexibility to reach you on their terms, whether that’s over email for detailed exchanges, over the phone for urgent resolution, or via messaging apps for quick, conversational interactions.
This shift has elevated service teams from problem-solvers to growth enablers. When service is done right, it builds loyalty. Loyalty translates into repeat purchases, stronger lifetime value, and advocacy that no marketing campaign can buy. When it’s done poorly, customers don’t just churn; they often take others with them. This shift has fundamentally changed the role of service teams from simply resolving tickets to playing a critical role in shaping brand perception, influencing purchase decisions, and directly impacting revenue.
The lesson for leaders is clear: Customer service is no longer a support function. It’s a growth strategy.
Meeting customers where they are
The most successful companies are expanding beyond traditional channels. Among all the new ways customers are choosing to engage, messaging platforms meet customers where they are. Apple Messages for Business stands out as particularly transformative. With more than a billion iPhone users worldwide, it offers companies unprecedented access to customers through a channel they already know and trust.
Read also: Simplicity and speed: How top customer support teams are thriving with AI
The value isn’t just in their reach. It’s in the experience. Customers can initiate a conversation with a brand from its website, app, email, or QR codes, as well as via Apple Maps or the Messages app on their iPhone, without friction. They can ask questions, receive tailored recommendations, schedule appointments, and even complete secure transactions—all within the same trusted conversation. For service teams, this transforms every interaction into an opportunity to build loyalty and drive growth.
“Apple Messages for Business is a great example of how we can help brands deliver experiences that feel intuitive, personal, and frictionless—the kind of experiences that truly earn loyalty,” says Vasu Ramanujaiah, vice president of product management at Freshworks. “At Freshworks, we’re building deep capabilities across every channel customers prefer.”
From support to engagement
In a typical service model, customers reach out with a query and agents reply with basic information. Responses are often delayed, sometimes adequate, but rarely memorable. Modern messaging apps like Apple Messages for Business flip this script, turning routine support into contextual, seamless, and strategically valuable engagement.
Consider a real estate consultant who allows customers to schedule appointments for property viewings via Messages. A time-picker interface displays available slots while flagging conflicts with the user’s calendar, eliminating the back-and-forth of calls or emails. Or take the case of a retailer that sends rich catalog links, embedded images, and Apple Pay within a chat thread, enabling customers to browse, select, and purchase directly within the Messages app. Even operational updates become more powerful: Order confirmations, shipping updates, and delivery alerts are delivered seamlessly, without spammy emails or intrusive calls.
With Freshworks’ AI Agent Studio, deploying AI agents across any channel, including Apple Messages for Business, is effortless. Whether it’s for sales, support, or bookings, AI agents help businesses automate resolutions so customers get the assistance they need instantly, anytime, 24/7. And when a situation calls for a human touch, conversations are transitioned seamlessly to live agents with full context, resulting in a smooth, personalized experience for customers.
This mix of automation and rich interaction elevates service from a defensive necessity into an offensive growth channel. Conversations are no longer solely about solving problems; they become opportunities to engage, convert, and delight.
The strategic imperative for leaders
What makes platforms like Apple Messages for Business truly powerful is the shift they represent, making service proactive, contextual, and deeply personal. Every conversation with a customer becomes more than solving a problem; it’s about creating value.
This shift changes the economics of service. No longer a cost center, service becomes a growth engine, driving retention, cross-selling, upselling, and advocacy. The ROI isn’t only measured in reduced churn but also in the trust that fuels long-term customer lifetime value.
Freshworks is committed to giving businesses ultimate flexibility across channels—phone, email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, Line, web chat, portals, and now Apple Messages for Business. On every channel, we pair this flexibility with powerful automation through chatbots and AI agents. The result? Customers can reach out whenever and however they want, without hesitation. And businesses can deliver an omnichannel experience that not only resolves issues but also cultivates trust and unlocks revenue.=
The future of growth is built on service
The most forward-looking companies have already realized that service isn’t an afterthought; it’s the heartbeat of customer experience. And as the lines between sales, marketing, and support blur, service will only become more central to growth strategies.
The future belongs to businesses that don’t just react to customer problems, but actively build relationships across the channels customers prefer. Apple Messages for Business is a glimpse into that future: a world where support is conversational, trusted, and seamlessly woven into everyday life.
The lesson is simple but profound: Growth follows trust. And trust is built, moment by moment, in the conversations service teams have with customers.
