Remove Client Service, Remove the Heartbeat

Have you been hearing about this trend of quietly downgrading client service? Replacing it with project management. Or assuming strategy can carry the relationship.

McCann started this trend and honestly, I think it's disastrous.

Here's why.

1. Project management isn't client service

PMs keep the work moving. But client service protects the relationship, the commercial health, and the long-term growth of the account.

On big, complex programmes, you often need both. On simpler ones, layering in PMs can actually create bloat without adding value.

2. Strategists shouldn't carry the client relationship alone

When strategy becomes the de facto lead, client service loses authority. The client stops hearing commercial or account signals early.

The strongest agencies have one clear CS voice at the table, supported by Strategy and Creative, not replaced by them.

3. Agencies underinvest in CS, then wonder why growth stalls

We expect people to be strategic, commercial, and influential, with no training plan, no coaching, and no time for development. That's not sustainable.

4. AI makes the human part more valuable, not less

Yes, tools can speed up admin. But they can't replace judgment, trust, or the ability to navigate tension in a room. If anything, CS teams need sharper advisory skills than ever.

A quick audit for agency leaders

• Who truly owns the client relationship and revenue on each account?
• Do CS, Strategy, and Creative align internally before anything goes to the client?
• Does every CS person have a live development plan, one that builds commercial and influence skills?
• Does your CSD have the authority to implement change without hand-holding?

Three practical steps this month

• Put CS back at the table. One clear owner of the relationship, supported by Strategy and Creative.
• Protect learning time. Book recurring time for development and commercial upskilling. Treat it like billable work.
• Measure what matters. Add relationship health and stakeholder engagement, not just revenue.

Because when you strip out client service, you strip out the part that sees the whole picture, the heartbeat that keeps relationships, growth, and trust alive.

What's your view? Could your agency thrive without a true CS function?

Jo x