✅ Why this step defines how you connect—and stay connected—with customers
A great product isn’t enough. How you support and relate to customers matters just as much.
The Customer Relationships section of the Business Model Canvas helps you decide what kind of connection you want to have with your users. It shapes your support systems, automation, onboarding, sales style, and post-sale experience. The right relationship strategy can reduce churn, increase referrals, and unlock long-term value.
📘 What you’ll define
- The tone, style, and type of engagement with users (self-serve, hands-on, automated)
- How you support users during and after purchase
- What kind of onboarding experience builds trust and activation
- Retention, loyalty, or feedback mechanisms
- The balance between automation and human interaction
🛠️ Tools and methods
✅ Customer Relationships Checklist
Define the expected relationship: support-heavy, fully self-serve, consultative, etc.
Design an onboarding experience: how users get started and see value quickly
Plan support systems: FAQ, chat, helpdesk, training, email touchpoints
Include feedback loops: NPS, surveys, user forums, embedded feedback
Consider how loyalty or retention is encouraged (e.g. tiers, rewards, proactive help)
Map how relationships scale over time—from pilot to growth
Example Customer Relationships Table
| Relationship Type | Example Channel | Purpose | Notes |
| Self-serve | In-app onboarding + help | Quick start and cost-efficient | Supports lower-cost market entry |
| Assisted setup | Customer success agent | B2B onboarding and integration | Ensures retention in early stage |
| Community-driven | Online forum + webinars | Peer support and feedback loop | Creates network effect |
| Proactive support | Email + in-app check-ins | Reduce churn and drive upgrades | Triggers based on user behaviour |
- Match your customer type and expectations—B2B and B2C differ here
- Revisit this block often as your user base evolves
⚠️ Mistakes to avoid
- Thinking support = relationship—it's broader than that
- Designing for your preference, not your user’s expectations
- Ignoring onboarding—it’s where relationships often begin or break
- Relying entirely on automation—some moments need a human touch
💡 From customer-focused teams
“We used to think we were a self-serve platform—until we saw how many users churned in week one. A personal check-in email cut that in half.”– Growth Lead, Connected Devices Startup
💡 Relationships don’t end at sale. They start there.
🔗 Helpful links & resources
- Customer Relationship Mapping Tool
- Download: Onboarding Flow Planner
- Article: Support, Success, and Scale: Building the Right Customer Relationship Model
- Follow-on: Channels
✍️ Quick self-check
Have we defined what kind of support or interaction users will expect?
Are onboarding and help systems in place—or at least planned?
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