In every business, the terms customer service and customer experience are used quite often. Both of them are an integral part of a business but in most cases. However, people think these two are synonymous. Both customer service and customer experience help to denote the customer's satisfaction and retain them as well. So, if you cannot satisfy your customers, then you will not be able to flourish your venture. Therefore, to achieve your business goal, you must understand the difference between customer service and customer experience.
What is Customer Service?
Customer service is a particular service that refers to customer support in a business. It is a particular function that works regarding customer problem-solving. This function is used when customers have a question about your service. At this time, you require a particular department that is known as customer service. For example, when you are shopping from an online website and have any kind of query, the person or the department that is solving your problem is known as the customer service department. This initiative can help you offer better service to all consumers.
What is Customer Experience?
Customer experience is a certain process that refers to the complete journey of a customer in your business. In simple words, customer experience is the journey of one while purchasing your service. Better customer service can help to accumulate more customers in a brief time. According to reports, a consumer reaches out to companies that succeed in offering better customer experience. For example, customer experience is when a customer comes to your store, chooses one article from your store, and completes the purchase. This whole procedure is known as customer experience.
Differences Between Customer Service and Customer Experience:
A lot of differences are there between customer service and customer experience. Here are a few major differences between them -
1. Reactive vs. Proactive:
One of the major differences between customer service and experience is that customer service is completely a reactive process. It takes place when consumers come with a concern and the main goal is to solve the problem. On the other hand, customer experience is proactive because here company is offering the service thinking about that customer might need any help in the journey. So, it is a proactive procedure that is always ready to offer any kind of assistance throughout the purchase journey.
2. Touchpoint:
Another difference between customer service and experience is that customer service only requires a single touchpoint. It is mainly interactions with those who are seeking any kind of assistance. On the other hand, customer experience requires constant touchpoint. It is involved in procedures like website navigation, marketing, and packaging. Customer experience is integrated with every step of a business.
3. Ongoing Relationship vs. Isolated:
In a company, customer experience is an ongoing relationship. Companies need to put in effort constantly to build a better connection and relationship with the consumers. It is the key to build a loyal connection with the potential consumers. On the other hand, customer service is an isolated relationship, when a customer is reaching out to the company for help. It is mainly a one-to-one procedure, which makes it an isolated event.
When it comes to customer service and customer experience, these are the major differences. These are the few things that make them different from the others. Both of them are considered an important part of the business. That is why, taking care of both of them is essential for a company.