In the case of Southwest, customer service is a strategic area of differentiation. It’s really more than customer service – it’s the strongest part of their brand essence. So I think the line between Marketing and Customer Service is pretty blurry in that situation.

And maybe that’s the whole point anyway.

As a marketer, of course I would say that everyone should answer to Marketing. All kidding aside, in the short run I think its fine for some CS departments to answer to Marketing if the CS department is not catching the vision and needs something that I think a good Marketing department could supply (usually not their own fault, but more born from management).

But ultimately I think it should be the goal of a company to have the CS department be self-sufficient and even lead the way in creating the customer experience. Take for example, Southwest Airlines. Can you imagine a marketer talking to a flight attendant about how to be engaging and the importance of creating magical customer experiences? This may not go over well. And why is that? Because SW starts and ends with customer service. Its culture is infused with it.

The goal of Marketing should be that of a parent – teach principles to the unlearned and young so that one day they can make it on their own. But once they understand what needs to be done, get out of their way and work towards the common goal as a cross functional team. Heck, we marketers might even learn a thing or two about our customers from the well-trained CS department.