Management and Competitiveness

Difference between customer service and customer experience

Mano frente a laptop negra buscando la diferencia entre servicio al cliente y experiencia del cliente

In the business world, customer service and customer experience are terms that are often confused, but they do not mean the same thing. Understanding their differences is crucial for effectively focusing your efforts and taking your business to the next level. Read on, as this article will explain what each term entails.

What is customer service?

Customer service refers to the assistance a company offers to its customers before or after they purchase or use products or services. It includes actions such as:

  • Providing product recommendations
  • Resolving problems and complaints
  • Answering general questions

According to QuestionPro, customer service is reactive because it usually comes into play when a customer contacts the company. Therefore, the company can only act once there is a need from the customer or when something goes wrong, not proactively.

What is customer experience?

Customer experience (CX) refers to how a company interacts with its customers at every touchpoint along their purchasing journey, from marketing and sales to customer service, and every step in between.

It is also said to be the sum total of all interactions a customer has with your brand, forming perceptions and opinions about your products, services, and the brand overall. For this reason, customer experience is one of the most important aspects of a business, as poor service from your employees can drive customers away and generate negative reviews.

Customer experience focuses on emotions. At each touchpoint with customers, you can either improve or worsen their perception of your brand. Thus, important decisions must be made at every touchpoint, influencing the success of your business.

Unlike customer service, customer experience is proactive. A company can take steps to optimize the customer journey before the customer becomes dissatisfied.

Customer experience goes beyond customer service by considering the overall journey and creating long-term relationships with customers.

In conclusion, these two concepts are not so different. The key is to understand that customer service is just one part of the overall experience.

If you enjoyed this article and want to start improving your customer service and experience with the help of technological tools, we at icorp can help you. Click here.

Fuente: Oracle, QuestionPro, Luis Maram

This article has been translated using AI and may include errors.

Verónica Martínez

Excellent customer service, quality, and continuous improvement are the results of teamwork and a healthy, peaceful work environment. Verónica Martínez is the Service Desk Coordinator at icorp, where she has a long career that began as an analyst, allowing her to develop leadership skills, management abilities, resilience, and adaptability. A person eager to continue growing, she loves a good coffee accompanied by a good book, music, and romantic movies.