The Essence
The Service is where purchased Products become ongoing delivery. It's the operational container for value that continues — subscriptions being fulfilled, retainers being honored, maintenance being performed, access being provided.
Services bridge the gap between what was sold (Order) and what's being experienced (customer reality). Unlike one-time Deliverables that complete and close, Services persist and evolve. They track not just "did we deliver?" but "are we delivering, right now, continuously?"
"Unlike one-time Deliverables that complete and close, Services persist and evolve. They track not just 'did we deliver?' but 'are we delivering, right now, continuously?'"
Unified View Contribution
Team Enablement
Primary contributor. Services define what teams must deliver on an ongoing basis. Service records tell delivery teams what customers are entitled to, what they're receiving, and how the relationship is progressing. Without clean Service architecture, teams don't know what they owe customers.
Customer View
Primary contributor. Service status reveals what value a customer is actively receiving. Active Services indicate ongoing partnership. Service health (usage, engagement, satisfaction) signals relationship strength or stress.
Revenue View
Supporting contributor. Services connect to the commercial arrangements that fund them — Subscriptions, Orders, recurring revenue. Service health predicts renewal likelihood and expansion opportunity.
Business Context
Supporting contributor. Service patterns reveal operational intelligence — delivery efficiency, resource utilization, customer success rates.
Sarah's Story
When Sarah's CVP Implementation Order was created, it triggered not just one-time Deliverables but also ongoing Services:
Service 1: Office Hours - Strategy Seat
- Type: Subscription Access
- Status: Active
- Tier: Strategy
- Entitlements: Weekly sessions, priority queue, quarterly 1:1s
- Associated Subscription: Monthly recurring
- Pipeline Stage: Active Engagement
This Service tracked Sarah's ongoing access to Office Hours. It wasn't a one-time delivery; it was continuous value provision. The Service record captured:
- • What she's entitled to: Weekly sessions, question priority, 1:1 time
- • How she's using it: Session attendance, questions submitted, engagement patterns
- • Where the relationship stands: Trust milestone progression
Service 2: CVP Foundation Support
- Type: Implementation Support
- Status: Active
- Duration: 6 months post-implementation
- Entitlements: Email support, documentation access, issue resolution
- Pipeline Stage: Active Support
This Service represented the support period included with her implementation. It had an end date, but while active, it defined what support Sarah could expect and what the team owed her.
Sarah could see her Services in the portal:
My Services:
- Office Hours - Strategy Seat: Active, next session Tuesday
- CVP Foundation Support: Active, 4 months remaining
Each Service showed her what she was receiving, how to access it, and how to get more value from it. She wasn't guessing what she was entitled to — the Service record made it explicit.
When Sarah's usage of Office Hours increased (more sessions attended, more questions submitted), the Service health indicators updated. When usage dropped, the system flagged it for customer success attention. The Service wasn't just a static entitlement — it was a living measure of value delivery.
Six months later, when Sarah's implementation support period ended, that Service moved to "Completed." But her Office Hours Service continued, now with deepened engagement and clear upgrade signals based on her usage patterns.
What It Holds
Service Identity
Delivery Status
Entitlements
Usage and Engagement
Health Indicators
Timeline
Commercial Context
What It Connects To
Primary Associations
The organization receiving this Service.
Service recipients, primary users, administrators.
The transaction that activated this Service.
If recurring, the Subscription managing billing.
The offering being delivered.
If Service includes project work.
Specific outputs within Service scope.
Sessions included in delivery and support requests.
Service-to-Contact Labels
Main recipient of this Service
Can manage Service settings
Has access under this Service
Value-First team member responsible for delivery
Service-to-Object Labels
Organization receiving this Service
Transaction that activated Service
Recurring billing managing Service
Offering being delivered
Project coordinating delivery
Outputs within Service scope
Why These Labels Matter
Service delivery involves multiple stakeholders with different relationships to the value being delivered. The Primary User experiences the value; the Administrator manages access; the Service Owner ensures delivery happens. Understanding these roles enables appropriate communication and accountability.
Common Patterns
The Subscription Service Pattern
Office Hours, SaaS access, maintenance contracts — these are Subscription Services.
The Term Service Pattern
Implementation support periods, warranty service, included training — these are Term Services.
The Milestone Service Pattern
Implementation Services, project-based consulting — these track progress through Deliverable completion.
The Health Monitoring Pattern
THEN: Update Service.health = "At Risk" → Create task for customer success → Trigger re-engagement outreach
Value-First vs. Industrial-Age
| ✗ Traditional Thinking | ✓ Value-First Thinking |
|---|---|
| Service = Contract terms | Service = Value being delivered |
| Service status = Binary (active/inactive) | Service health = Engagement spectrum |
| Service success = No complaints | Service success = Value realization |
| Service data for operations only | Service visibility for customer too |
| Renewal is sales event | Renewal is relationship continuation |
| Service ends when contract ends | Service relationship informs future engagement |
Why This Shift Matters
When Services are just contract terms, you know what you owe but not whether you're delivering value. A customer might be paying for a Service they're not using — technically active, practically worthless. You discover problems at renewal when they cancel.
When Services track value delivery, you see reality. Usage patterns reveal engagement. Health indicators flag at-risk relationships before cancellation. Customer success becomes proactive, not reactive. Services become the operational measure of whether promises are being kept.
In Practice
Implementation details and configuration
What You'll See in HubSpot
Services live in the Service Hub. Each Service has:
- Left sidebar: Service properties, status, tier, health
- Middle column: Activity timeline, usage history
- Right sidebar: Associations to Company, Contacts, Subscription, Tickets
The Service index supports filtering by status, type, health, and renewal date.
Key Properties
Key Properties
Native HubSpot Properties
| Property | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
hs_service_name Native | Text | Service identifier |
hs_service_status Native | Enumeration | Active, Paused, Completed, Cancelled |
hs_pipeline Native | Pipeline | Service lifecycle stage |
hs_pipeline_stage Native | Stage | Current position in lifecycle |
Value-First Custom Properties
| Property | Type | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
vf_service_type | Enumeration | Subscription, Term, Project-Based, Maintenance |
vf_service_tier | Enumeration | Free, Base, Strategy, Partnership |
vf_entitlements_summary | Text | What customer is entitled to |
vf_start_date | Date | When Service began |
vf_end_date | Date | When Service ends (if termed) |
vf_health_score | Enumeration | Thriving, Healthy, Attention, At Risk |
vf_usage_level | Enumeration | Champion, Active, Light, Dormant |
vf_last_engagement_date | Date | Most recent usage/engagement |
vf_renewal_date | Date | When renewal conversation should happen |
vf_trust_milestone | Enumeration | Foundation, Capability, Multiplication |
Service Lifecycle Pipeline
Onboarding
Initial setup and orientation
Service activated, customer being enabled
Access provisioned, welcome complete, initial usage achieved
Portal Experience
In the My Value Path Portal, Sarah sees her Services:
My Services
- Each active Service with name, tier, status
- Entitlements summary (what's included)
- Usage summary (how you're using it)
- Quick actions (access service, get help)
Service Detail
- Full entitlements breakdown
- Usage history and patterns
- Related Appointments (upcoming sessions)
- Related Tickets (support history)
- How to get more value
"The Transparency Principle: Sarah knows exactly what she's entitled to, how she's using it, and where to get more value. No ambiguity about what she's paying for."
From Default to Value-First
Define Service Types
Identify the categories of ongoing value delivery in your business. Create properties and pipelines for each type.
Connect to Commerce
Ensure Orders and Subscriptions trigger Service activation. Service should automatically reflect commercial entitlements.
Track Engagement
Implement usage tracking — session attendance, feature usage, support requests. Feed this into Service health properties.
Enable Health Monitoring
Create workflows that flag at-risk Services based on engagement patterns. Enable proactive customer success.
Configure Portal Visibility
Customers should see their Services, entitlements, and usage. Transparency builds trust.
See It In Action
Experience in the Value Path Simulator
Key Moment: Notice how Services answer "are we delivering value right now?" not just "did we deliver once?" The ongoing nature of Service tracking enables continuous relationship management.