Are there benefits to being personal with customers anymore or has everything become transactional?

There are countless products and services out there, and I’ll admit I sign up for more than I probably should. But I usually stop using them for a few common reasons:

1. It doesn’t actually fit my needs

2. The company feels unreliable or opaque

3. The value doesn’t justify the cost

After spending my career in enterprise software, I’ve noticed that many of these issues aren’t just product problems, they’re relationship problems.

When companies show a bit of intention, clarity, and care, trust goes up. When they don’t, everything feels disposable, even good tools.

Curious how others feel: Are we past the point of customer relationships mattering, or is being more personal actually becoming a differentiator again?