Customer Relationships in the Business Model Canvas describe the type of relationship a company builds and maintains with its various customer segments. The choice of relationship type influences the entire customer experience, cost structure, and customer retention. It ranges from fully automated self-service to dedicated personal consultation.
Common relationship forms include: personal assistance (dedicated contacts as in private banking), automated services (algorithmic recommendations as with Netflix), self-service (customers serve themselves, as at IKEA), communities (users help users, as in support forums), and co-creation (customers shape the product, as with Lego Ideas). A company can choose different relationship types for different segments. A SaaS provider often serves enterprise customers personally while small-business customers are supported through self-service and community support.
The field comes from the Business Model Canvas. What matters is consistency: the chosen relationship form must align with the customer segment, pricing model, and value proposition. Premium prices with pure self-service create just as much friction as personal service for a low-price product.
