Customer service

Customer service is the whole experience a customer has with a business, not only the moment of sale. It covers everything from asking questions before buying to what happens after a sale, including delivery and any problems that follow.

Good customer service makes customers feel valued. A customer who is listened to, kept informed and treated politely feels the business cares about them, rather than just about taking their money.

It includes problems, not just friendly service

Customer service is not only serving customers pleasantly. It also includes handling complaints and delivery problems. Good customer service means these issues are dealt with properly, not that they never happen. For example, if a customer orders a flat-pack desk from a small furniture shop and one panel arrives scratched, good service means the shop answers quickly, apologises, arranges a replacement panel and tells the customer when it will arrive.

How it relates to the sales process

The sales process is the sequence of activities a business uses to sell a product or service. Customer service is wider: it covers the whole experience the customer has around those activities, before, during and after the sale. A shop might have a quick, well organised sales process, but if staff ignore a complaint afterwards, the customer's overall experience is still poor.