customerservice

Customer service refers to the activities and interactions that help customers before, during, and after a purchase. Its purpose is to assist with questions, provide information, resolve issues, and ensure a smooth experience with a company’s products or services. Customer service can be delivered through multiple channels, including phone, email, live chat, social media, self-service portals, and in-person interactions. The aim is to satisfy customers, address problems promptly, and foster customer loyalty.

Core elements of customer service include responsiveness, reliability, and effective problem solving, supported by product and policy knowledge. Staff such as customer service representatives or call-center agents use clear communication and empathy to manage inquiries and complaints. Organizations typically maintain knowledge bases and standard operating procedures to support consistent service. Service quality is commonly measured with metrics such as customer satisfaction scores (CSAT), Net Promoter Score (NPS), first contact resolution (FCR), average handling time (AHT), and service level agreements (SLA).

Customer service exists alongside related concepts like customer support and customer success. Customer service emphasizes addressing customer inquiries and problems across the lifecycle, often in a reactive or transactional context. Customer support tends to focus more on technical assistance and troubleshooting, while customer success concentrates on helping customers achieve desired outcomes and long-term value. As technology evolves, practices in customer service increasingly incorporate automation, self-service options, and omnichannel routing to improve accessibility, efficiency, and consistency across touchpoints.