Customer service and customer experience are often used interchangeably, but they are  two very distinct concepts. So what’s the difference? 

Customer service specifically refers to the interactions that customers have with a company’s employees. Customer experience encompasses all of the interactions and touch points a customer has with a company, including its products, services, brand, and website.

At its core, customer service is about helping customers and solving problems. It is the human element of a company’s interactions with its customers. It is focused on providing assistance and support to ideally ensure that customers are satisfied with their experience. This can include answering questions, addressing concerns, and helping customers to troubleshoot problems they may be experiencing with a product or service.

On the other hand, customer experience is the holistic concept that takes into account all of the ways that a customer interacts with a business. This includes everything from the design and functionality of a company’s products and services, to the way that a company communicates with its customers and the overall look and feel of its website. It includes any way your customer “touches” your company including customer service. 

Another subtle key difference between the two is that customer service tends to be reactive, while customer experience is theoretically proactive. Customer service is usually focused on addressing issues that arise after a customer has already made a purchase or is about to purchase – though that doesn’t mean that customer service can’t also be proactive. Customer experience is proactively designing and delivering an overall positive experience for the customer from the very beginning of the journey.

Both customer service and customer experience are critical for companies looking to stand out and retain their customers. Providing excellent customer service, both reactive and proactive, can help to address specific problems and concerns that customers may have, while delivering a seamless customer experience can help to foster long-term customer loyalty and drive business growth.

So what’s more important? The politically correct answer is they’re both equal! Though if you wanted to get technical, if you had an absolutely perfect customer experience, one could argue that it might negate the need for customer service.

Possible food for thought…