Meaning ● Customer Deflection, within the realm of SMB growth strategy, involves proactively steering customers toward self-service resources and automated solutions, minimizing the necessity for direct, often costly, human interaction. This approach, when strategically implemented, optimizes operational efficiency and reallocates human capital towards higher-value business tasks crucial for scaling SMB operations. For instance, deploying intelligent chatbots to address common inquiries frees up customer service representatives to handle complex problem-solving and strategic account management, driving better customer satisfaction and retention.