What Is Customer Service? (2023)

What Is Customer Service? (1)

Why is customer service important?

In one word: retention. Happier customers are more likely to continue doing business with you. This helps your bottom line. It’s less expensive to keep current customers than to attract new ones.

Customer service is also a differentiator that sets your brand apart from competitors that offer similar products or services. Service teams not only answer questions; they make each experience personalized to the customer. In fact, 80% of customers say that the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services.

Meanwhile, frustrating customer experiences contribute to churn. Eighty percent of shoppers will abandon a retailer after three bad experiences, for example. Great customer service is important for your brand reputation, too. After all, customers are quick to share negative experiences with the masses online.

The seven pillars of great customer service

With loyalty on the line, service leaders need to master the art of great customer service. These seven best practices will help you harness the right technology, empower your team, and meet ever-changing customer expectations.

What Is Customer Service? (2)

Connect customer service to the broader organization

Seventy-six percent of customers expect consistent interactions across departments. It doesn’t matter whether the customer is on self-service channels or chatting with a sales rep. Customers want continuity — not redirects to a different team or having to repeat information.

The key is to connect service to your customer relationship management (CRM) system. This will give you a complete view of a customer’s interactions with your company. When a customer reaches out, the agent has all relevant data on a single screen — demographics, order history, preferences, and more — so they know how to help. And they will know who to pull in from another department to help resolve the issue, if need be.

What Is Customer Service? (3)

Offer support on every channel

(Video) What is Customer Service?

Today, great customer service happens everywhere — email, social media, text, and, of course, the phone. No matter the channel, customers want fast, convenient, and high-quality support. Here are thechannels every service leader needsto scale support:

What Is Customer Service? (4)

Voice: Even though voice remains the top channel, it’s not the same phone support as decades ago. Today, voice is as much a digital channel as email or webchat. The key is to connect cloud telephony with your CRM. Call information instantly appears on the agent’s screen. Artificial intelligence (AI) transcribes the encounter in real time. This way, agents stay focused on the customer.

What Is Customer Service? (5)

Mobile: More service organizations reported using messaging apps (up 29%) and mobile apps (up 21%) in 2020 compared to 2018. Mobile options offer asynchronous communication. Customers and agents can access a log of past interactions and keep the conversation going over an extended period.

What Is Customer Service? (6)

Social media: Seventy-one percent of service organizations use social media channels. Integrate marketing and customer service data to give both teams a single view of the customer. This will help them to better collaborate and determine the appropriate next steps if a customer reaches out with a problem or complaint.

(Video) What is customer service ? The 7 Essentials To Excellent Customer Service

What Is Customer Service? (7)

Email: Email is the second most-used service channel, after phone support. Customers like email for its convenience. It also gives them the ability to see a written record of their correspondence and the option to add attachments, such as a receipt. With the right customer service technology, you can automatically turn an email into a case and route it to the right service team member.

What Is Customer Service? (8)

Self-service channels: Your help center, customer portal, and customer community are a first line of defense. Customers use these self-service channels for fast answers to common questions, such as how to recover an online account. This eliminates the need for the customer to reach out through other high-touch channels. In fact, 65% of customers prefer self-service for simple matters, and 66% of service professionals say self-service channels reduce case volume.

What Is Customer Service? (9)

Chatbots: Since 2018, more decision makers say their organizations use chatbots (up 67%). Chatbots use AI to analyze data and answer routine questions quickly. Based on the customer’s request, the chatbot shares relevant content. If the case is complex, the chatbot puts the customer in touch with an agent for further support.

What Is Customer Service? (10)

Video: Some cases need face-to-face interaction, but not necessarily in-person service. Examples include rebooting a piece of equipment or replacing a part yourself. That’s why there’s been a 42% increase in the number of service organizations that report using video support. With visual remote assistance, customers have the option to connect with an agent or technician through video. The expert guides them through the steps to resolve an issue on their own.

(Video) Customer Service Vs. Customer Experience

What Is Customer Service? (11)

What Is Customer Service? (12)

Strike the perfect balance between quality and speed

Sixty-three percent of agents say it’s difficult to balance speed and quality. Omni-channel routing directs cases to the right agent and gives managers a bird’s eye view of contact center activity. This ensures that agents are on the right cases based on their skills and availability.

Another way to help agents meet expectations for fast support is through automation. Automated workflows guide agents through the steps to complete an action. You can repurpose these workflows on your self-service channels to help customers complete a process on their own, too. For example, you can walk a customer through the steps to initiate a return.

What Is Customer Service? (13)

Train agents on soft and hard skills

Agents today must actively listen, exhibit empathy, showcase product knowledge, and deliver a personalized experience to every customer, all while resolving cases quickly. As a result, 55% of agents say they need better training to do their jobs well.

It’s important to provide ongoing training to support agents in their more complex roles. Focus on development of both hard and soft skills including:

  • Interpersonal skills: At the end of the day it’s how you make people feel that matters the most. Teach agents the basics of communication, including listening, positive language, persuasion, and empathy. Express the importance of putting yourself in the customer’s shoes.
  • Product knowledge: Update all employees on any new releases or updates. Encourage agents to study company protocols, products, and services. Provide opportunities to shadow and collaborate with experts to improve their product knowledge.
  • Technical expertise: Ensure your technology is intuitive for agents. Train them on the latest features and functions. Ask agents for their feedback so that you can improve the experience for every employee.

What Is Customer Service? (14)

What Is Customer Service? (15)

(Video) Who has the WORST Customer Service?

Act as one team

Although agents often work one-on-one with customers, they still need a sense of professional support and camaraderie. Maintain open lines of communication and collaboration. This is especially important with a remote workforce. Daily standups are an easy way to keep everyone connected and united.

Encourage collaboration to solve complex cases by adopting case swarming. This approach brings agents and skilled experts together to work through complex cases. Teams log the steps to solve the case for the next time it comes up. As a bonus, junior employees and new hires gain new skills they otherwise would not have been exposed to.

What Is Customer Service? (16)

Turn customer service into a revenue driver

Once the agent solves the issue at hand, they can take the relationship further by upselling and cross-selling. AI can help: It analyzes the customer’s data — such as past orders and likelihood to buy — to recommend relevant products or services to the customer.

Beyond adding incremental revenue, customer service can support your business strategy. Agents glean customer insights and feedback every day. Consider inviting your service team to present customer feedback at company meetings. These insights can yield great product innovations or improvements.

What Is Customer Service? (17)

Change up how you measure success

Handle time is an important metric, but it doesn’t tell you the whole story. Analyze a range of metrics to better understand the customer and their relationship with your company overall.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind based on the five most important service metrics today:

  • Customer satisfaction: High customer satisfaction (CSAT) is still the holy grail for service teams. To gauge CSAT, send out quick surveys to get a sense of how happy customers are following their interaction with your service team.
  • Revenue: Review your contact center analytics to determine if quality customer service is contributing to a higher number of transactions or greater sales per customer.
  • Customer retention: Pay attention to what happens after the customer disconnects. Has a frustrating customer service experience contributed to churn?
  • Customer effort: Are you putting too much onus on the customer? Determine ways to reduce customer effort. For example, you may create an easy-to-find knowledge article, optimized for search, to help customers resolve an issue fast.
  • SLA performance: Most companies have service-level agreements (SLAs) for the contact center, including items such as the most amount of time customers should wait on hold, for example. Compare your SLAs against actual performance according to your contact center analytics. This will help you to identify improvements to meet SLAs.

The meaning of great customer service today

Even though the definition of customer service has changed over time, the sentiment remains the same: It’s the magic behind customer loyalty. Your service team understands the customer in a way that no other department can. They have the power to make customers feel special and understood while meeting their expectations. That’s a win for your team and your entire organization.

(Video) "WHAT DOES CUSTOMER SERVICE MEAN TO YOU?" Interview Questions and TOP-SCORING Answer!

FAQs

What is customer service for you best answer? ›

Customer service involves being a kind, courteous, and professional face for the company. It also involves listening carefully to customer wants and concerns. Beyond listening, customer service is doing everything in one's power to efficiently and accurately serve each customer.

What is customer service easy answer? ›

Customer service is the support you offer your customers — both before and after they buy and use your products or services — that helps them have an easy and enjoyable experience with you. Offering amazing customer service is important if you want to retain customers and grow your business.

How do you answer good customer service examples? ›

Example answers

'For me, good customer service means constantly surprising the customer by exceeding their expectations. It means doing more than the bare minimum to keep the customer happy, and always being willing to go that extra mile to ensure their satisfaction.

What makes you a good fit for this job answer customer service? ›

"Because I have the experience and expertise in the area of customer support that is required in this position." This is a time to let the customer (the interviewer) know what your product and (YOU) can do for them and why they should listen to what you have to offer.

Why should we hire you answer best? ›

Show that you have skills and experience to do the job and deliver great results. You never know what other candidates offer to the company. But you know you: emphasize your key skills, strengths, talents, work experience, and professional achievements that are fundamental to getting great things done on this position.

What is a good example of customer service interview question? ›

General and Common Customer Service Interview Questions

What does good customer service mean to you? What's the best customer service you've ever received? What do you consider to be the most important skills when providing customer service? How do you ensure you maintain good communication with every customer?

What is customer service with example? ›

What is an example of customer service? One example of customer service is when a customer receives a product (say, a sweatshirt) and the item doesn't fit. You would need to provide a way for the customer to reach out to you so that they can either return the product or exchange it for a different size.

What are the 3 most important things in customer service? ›

Essentially, the 3 important qualities of customer service center around three “p”s: professionalism, patience, and a “people-first” attitude. Although customer service varies from customer to customer, as long as you're following these guidelines, you're on the right track.

Why customer service is so important? ›

When customers are happy with the service they receive, they are more likely to trust and be loyal to that company. Good customer service creates a positive experience for customers, which can result in repeat business and referrals. Good customer service is the lifeblood of any business.

What are the 7 qualities of good customer service? ›

7 Must-Have Qualities of a Stellar Customer Service Rep
  • Problem-Solving Skills. The number one skill you need to excel in for good customer service is problem-solving. ...
  • Clear Communication. ...
  • Friendly Attitude. ...
  • Empathy. ...
  • Business Acumen. ...
  • Product/Service Knowledge. ...
  • Strong Time Management.

Can you give an example of when you gave excellent customer service? ›

I spoke to my manager to determine our options and my manager gave me the approval to give the guests an available room. I also offered the guests free room service for the inconvenience of having to wait for a hotel room. The guests were so satisfied that they left a glowing review online after their stay."

Why do you want to work for us? ›

Express your personal passion for the employer's product/service/mission. Employers want to know you're passionate about what they do, whether it takes the shape of a product, a service, a mission, or a brand. You can also connect your passion to the company's core values, which can often be found on their website.

What can you bring to the company? ›

Think about: your enthusiasm for the profession and the employer and your desire to make your mark. your personal qualities, such as your drive and willingness to learn. the skills the employer seeks and how you have demonstrated them in the past – your answer should show why you would be competent in the job.

Why should we hire you with no experience? ›

Why should we hire you? Make your lack of experience work in your favour. Use this as a strength and tell the panel you are fresh, enthusiastic, hungry and ready to get started! You want the panel to hire you because of your passion for this job and how much you are attracted to their company.

What makes you fit for this job? ›

For starters, I have all the skills and experience listed in the job description, and I'm confident that I can make an immediate impact on your company. It's not just my background in leading successful projects for Fortune 500 companies, but also my passion for the industry that drives me to succeed.

How do you see yourself 5 years from now? ›

Tips for Answering 'Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?'
  1. Show how your professional goals and the job you're applying for align.
  2. Focus on the skills you want to learn and get better at.
  3. Don't get too specific with job titles or time frames.
  4. Never say “I want your job,” “I don't know” or “Not here!”
8 Jul 2022

How can you handle an angry customer? ›

How to Deal with Angry Customers
  1. Remain calm.
  2. Practice active listening.
  3. Repeat back what your customers say.
  4. Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention.
  5. Explain the steps you'll take to solve the problem.
  6. Set a time to follow up with them, if needed.
  7. Be sincere.
  8. Highlight the case's priority.
15 Dec 2021

How do you sell yourself in a customer service interview? ›

Focus on your strengths related to customer service

If you've had some customer service jobs before, you should focus mostly on that in your introduction, briefly explaining what you did, learned, achieved, and how it makes from you a good candidate for the position.

What skills do you need in customer service? ›

Here are the top customer service skills your representatives need, according to data.
  • Persuasive Speaking Skills. Think of the most persuasive speaker in your organisation. ...
  • Empathy. ...
  • Adaptability. ...
  • Ability to Use Positive Language. ...
  • Clear Communication Skills. ...
  • Self-Control. ...
  • Taking Responsibility. ...
  • Patience.

What is an excellent customer service experience? ›

Excellent customer service means going beyond meeting your customer's basic needs. It involves much more than providing support in a timely and pleasant manner. More importantly, it means doing everything possible so your customers are not merely satisfied. They're actually happy with your products and services.

What is a good customer? ›

Great Customers are Advocates. Great customers, when they truly are getting tremendous value from your product, become more than just happy. They do more than just references. They give you more than just high customer satisfaction marks. They become advocates.

What are the 5 qualities of customer service? ›

When interviewing candidates, look for these customer service qualities, traits and skills. Look for someone who is communicative, persuasive, is polite, patient, conscientious, and loyal.

How do you serve your customers? ›

11 ways to provide great customer service
  1. Be friendly. The most important rule in providing excellent customer service is to be friendly. ...
  2. Respond promptly. ...
  3. Know your product or service. ...
  4. Listen to your customers. ...
  5. Say thank you. ...
  6. Get to know your customers. ...
  7. Ask for feedback. ...
  8. Use the feedback you receive.

How do you give a 5 star customer service? ›

  1. 5 good customer service examples to provide great service. Respond as quickly as possible. Know your customers. Fix your mistakes. Listen to your customers. ...
  2. 3 ways to improve customer service. Deliver context-based support. Innovate the customer journey. Invest in human and automated service channels.
10 Oct 2022

Why is customer service important to you interview question? ›

“To me, customer service means ensuring that the client or customer has the best experience possible. I've learned that by listening to the customer's desires, concerns, and perspective, I'm able to figure out the best way to solve any issues that come up.

What makes a customer important? ›

A customer is an individual or business that purchases another company's goods or services. Customers are important because they drive revenues; without them, businesses cannot continue to exist.

What words describe customer service? ›

5 Words that Describe the Best Customer Service
  • Empathy/Understanding. Empathy was mentioned by the greatest percentage of respondents. ...
  • Satisfaction. Satisfaction was the second most popular choice to describe great customer service. ...
  • Listen. ...
  • Patience. ...
  • Caring.
17 Dec 2021

Is customer service a skill? ›

Customer service is both a type of job and a set of job skills. As a job, customer service professionals are responsible for addressing customer needs and ensuring they have a good experience. As a skill set, customer service entails several qualities like active listening, empathy, problem-solving and communication.

How do you show good customer service skills in an interview? ›

Staying Positive in Tough Situations

In the interview, ask how candidates have dealt with difficult customers – and listen for attitude. Extroverted people who tend to be friendly and engaging with strong communication skills and empathetic listening skills are generally well suited for this role, Lopes says.

How do you handle difficult customers interview question? ›

How to answer "How would you deal with a difficult customer?"
  • Listen carefully to the customer. ...
  • Repeat what you've just heard. ...
  • Actively sympathize / apologize. ...
  • Take responsibility to resolve the issue. ...
  • Remain calm and compassionate.
15 Dec 2021

How do you demonstrate good customer service skills? ›

You can actively demonstrate customer service skills as part of the job interview. Showcase these skills by arriving on time, responding clearly to interview questions, maintaining eye contact and presenting a friendly demeanour.

Why did you apply for this position? ›

'This opportunity is really exciting for me as I will be able to…' 'I see the role as a way of developing my career in a forward-thinking/well-established company/industry as…' 'I feel I will succeed in the role because I have experience in/softs skills that demonstrate/ I've taken this course…'

What attracted you to this position? ›

If you can explain how the role aligns with your career goals or how the company's work interests you or how it connects to something you're passionate about, you can show the interviewer that you understand what you want from the company and what they want from you.

How did you hear about this position? ›

Answering “How Did You Hear About Us?” – 10 Sample Answers

You were looking actively for jobs and found it on a job board, careers website, while searching jobs on LinkedIn, etc., and that's how you first saw their job. You have a colleague or friend in the company who suggested you apply or mentioned they were hiring.

What salary are you looking for? ›

Ask the what the range is for the job or ask to hear the interviewer's best offer. “The goal is to get them to mention their ideal range first since that will put you at an advantage for negotiations,” Magas says. You say: “In general, I expect a salary that's consistent with current employees at the same level.

What is the salary expectation? ›

Rather than offering a set number of the salary you expect, provide the employer with a range in which you'd like your salary to fall. Try to keep your range tight rather than very wide. For example, if you want to make $75,000 a year, a good range to offer would be $73,000 to $80,000.

Why should we hire you fresher? ›

“As a fresher, I bring a lot to the table in terms of skill and ability. I am very flexible and adaptive to learning new things, which means I will be able to contribute something capable to the growth of the company. My last project in Operations taught me how to be a team player.

What makes you different from other candidates? ›

These can be professional skills, areas of expertise, personal qualities, or any relevant experience. Also, consider any impressive accomplishments from your past or career goals that speak to your commitment to the field. Think of ways to out-do the other candidates.

What is a best customer service? ›

The key to good customer service is building good relationships with your customers. Thanking the customer and promoting a positive, helpful and friendly environment will ensure they leave with a great impression. A happy customer will return often and is likely to spend more.

How do you politely tell a customer they are wrong? ›

Here are some of the right ways in which a business can appropriately tell a client that they are wrong;
  1. 1Be Certain That The Customer Is Wrong. ...
  2. 2Be Calm and Polite When Telling A Client They're Wrong. ...
  3. 3Do Not Blame The Client. ...
  4. 4Ask Questions. ...
  5. 5Be Direct. ...
  6. 6Listen. ...
  7. 7Show Your Expertise And Experience. ...
  8. 8Change Their Perspective.

How do you apologize to a frustrated customer? ›

Apology statements:
  1. • I'm sorry that you've had to deal with [issue] • I am sorry that we failed to [cause of issue] and you've had to deal with the outcome. • ...
  2. • The issue happened because we [what caused the issue]. To prevent it from happening again [what you will do] ...
  3. • Again, I'm deeply sorry this has happened to you.

Why did you choose customer service? ›

Why work in customer service? Working in customer service can be extremely rewarding. You help people achieve goals and play a direct role in customer success. And, the professional skills you develop in this field can be applied to any career you pursue.

Why is customer service important to you interview question? ›

“To me, customer service means ensuring that the client or customer has the best experience possible. I've learned that by listening to the customer's desires, concerns, and perspective, I'm able to figure out the best way to solve any issues that come up.

What is customer service in call center interview? ›

To me, a customer service call center is the frontline of all customer interactions. It's the job of call center agents to listen and understand customer concerns while also providing helpful information. At the end of the day, customer service call centers need to create satisfied customers with every call.

What are the 7 qualities of good customer service? ›

7 Must-Have Qualities of a Stellar Customer Service Rep
  • Problem-Solving Skills. The number one skill you need to excel in for good customer service is problem-solving. ...
  • Clear Communication. ...
  • Friendly Attitude. ...
  • Empathy. ...
  • Business Acumen. ...
  • Product/Service Knowledge. ...
  • Strong Time Management.

Why do you want this job? ›

Focus on the job at hand

'I want this job because I have clear skills that will help me achieve...' 'This role will give me the opportunity to combine both my skills in [skill 1] and [skill 2] to achieve...' 'I love [job role specific task] and my last job took me away from that.

Why do you want to work for us? ›

Express your personal passion for the employer's product/service/mission. Employers want to know you're passionate about what they do, whether it takes the shape of a product, a service, a mission, or a brand. You can also connect your passion to the company's core values, which can often be found on their website.

How do you handle stress pressure? ›

Common stress management strategies include:
  1. Staying positive.
  2. Using stress as a motivator.
  3. Accepting what you can't control.
  4. Practicing relaxation methods, like yoga or meditation.
  5. Choosing healthy habits.
  6. Learning how to manage time better.
  7. Making time for your personal life.
29 Jun 2021

How do you pass a customer service interview? ›

Have a positive, upbeat demeanor during the interview, since those are qualities that most companies will look for in people providing customer service. Look for opportunities to demonstrate that you understand how to provide effective customer service, and that, in particular, you are aware of the company's needs.

How can you handle an angry customer? ›

How to Deal with Angry Customers
  1. Remain calm.
  2. Practice active listening.
  3. Repeat back what your customers say.
  4. Thank them for bringing the issue to your attention.
  5. Explain the steps you'll take to solve the problem.
  6. Set a time to follow up with them, if needed.
  7. Be sincere.
  8. Highlight the case's priority.
15 Dec 2021

Why should we hire you with no experience? ›

Why should we hire you? Make your lack of experience work in your favour. Use this as a strength and tell the panel you are fresh, enthusiastic, hungry and ready to get started! You want the panel to hire you because of your passion for this job and how much you are attracted to their company.

How do you see yourself 5 years from now? ›

Tips for Answering 'Where Do You See Yourself in 5 Years?'
  1. Show how your professional goals and the job you're applying for align.
  2. Focus on the skills you want to learn and get better at.
  3. Don't get too specific with job titles or time frames.
  4. Never say “I want your job,” “I don't know” or “Not here!”
8 Jul 2022

How did you see yourself in 5 years? ›

After 5 years, I see myself in a respectable position and a highly skilled knowledgeable person in my area of interest and domain. I want to see myself more grown technically and at much higher position, and grow along with organization.

What is most important customer service? ›

Your List of the Most Important Customer Service Skills (According to Data)
  1. Persuasive Speaking Skills. Think of the most persuasive speaker in your organisation. ...
  2. Empathy. ...
  3. Adaptability. ...
  4. Ability to Use Positive Language. ...
  5. Clear Communication Skills. ...
  6. Self-Control. ...
  7. Taking Responsibility. ...
  8. Patience.

What are the 3 most important things in customer service? ›

Essentially, the 3 important qualities of customer service center around three “p”s: professionalism, patience, and a “people-first” attitude. Although customer service varies from customer to customer, as long as you're following these guidelines, you're on the right track.

What words describe customer service? ›

5 Words that Describe the Best Customer Service
  • Empathy/Understanding. Empathy was mentioned by the greatest percentage of respondents. ...
  • Satisfaction. Satisfaction was the second most popular choice to describe great customer service. ...
  • Listen. ...
  • Patience. ...
  • Caring.
17 Dec 2021

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