We recently published a case study about Carbon, a 3D printing company known for its innovative technology and, now, its proactive customer service model. Over the course of several months, we spoke with the Carbon team and asked them how they use IoT data that streams from their printers to predict customers’ problems before they arise. The result? Customers love Carbon.

Carbon’s challenges were threefold. First, it faced competing priorities in that it had to simply maintain the strength of its printers and grow its product range, all while developing a customer service model. Second, Carbon had to prove the efficacy of its products over time, or else it would not be able to build long-lasting customer relationships. Third, Carbon wanted to do more with customer service than just respond to inbound requests; it had to build a technology stack that exposed enough IoT data to empower reps with the information and insights they need to be proactive.

We uncovered nine elements of Carbon’s operations that contribute to the success of the company’s service model, including:

  • How it uses real-time data feeds to proactively address printer activity.
  • How it structures customer service around customer problems — not business needs.
  • How it shares customer feedback with the executive team.

All in all, Carbon has enjoyed increased revenue, increased customer retention, reduced operating costs, and smarter product development practices. Forrester clients can learn much more about Carbon’s approach to customer service by reading the case study. Questions about Carbon or how to create a proactive service model? Feel free to set up an inquiry with us. If you are a vendor that powers IoT-fueled or predictive customer service for your customers, we’re all ears and happy to arrange a briefing with you.