Degrees of separation: technological interactivity and account management

Purpose – There has been an increasing application of remote technology to customer service. This research, from business‐to‐business financial services, seeks to gain insight and understanding into how the supplier/customer relationship and account management are impacted. Design/methodology/approach – Taking a realism approach, the qualitative research in this study was based on gaining access to experts, suppliers and customers who had direct experience of the subject area. Findings – Three levels of account management are identified in the paper: transactional, operational and strategic. The service offered at all levels often requires close and intensive cooperation on both sides, but increasingly it has been centralised and automated. Key account management is practised as an integrative relationship function, but it has limitations and by definition it is not available to all customers. Research limitations/implications – This exploratory research suggests a number of factors that may impact on the effectiveness of remote servicing. Understanding the relationship impact of remote servicing may be enhanced by recognising the appropriate levels and types of service for each situation. Further research is needed in this area. Practical implications – Managers need to carefully consider the transactional, operational and strategic implications of applying new technologies to managing interactions with customers. A better understanding of these may help in justifying the expense of relational efforts in account servicing. Originality/value – In providing contextually rich data from a sector that is utilising technology as part of a strategy to centralise and automate many aspects of customer service this research explores some important aspects of remote servicing.