What Is the Difference Between Customer Experience and Customer Service?

Understanding the difference between customer experience and customer service can be confusing, as the two terms are often used interchangeably. However, they play distinct roles in shaping a company’s relationship with its customers.

One of our community members recently reached out to our network of industry professionals for insights on this:

“What is the difference between Customer Experience and Customer Service?”

We thought this was an interesting topic and wanted to share their responses with you.

Customer Service vs Customer Experience

The terms customer service and customer experience are often used interchangeably, but they represent distinct concepts, each playing a vital role in building strong relationships with customers.

While both are crucial to a brand’s success, understanding their differences is key to crafting an effective customer-centric strategy.

As Andrew explains, “they’re not the same thing, but they are related. The difference between customer service and customer experience is that while customer service is one piece of the puzzle, focused on human interaction and directly supporting customers, customer experience is the sum of the entire customer journey with your business.”

Customer Service

Customer service is typically viewed as a reactive function, addressing immediate customer needs. Barb explains that “customer service is the value being obtained from a customer’s purchase of a product or service.”

Essentially, it’s what you provide when a customer seeks assistance, be it through answering a question, resolving an issue, or offering a solution.

It’s a direct interaction, a “moment” when the customer requires support, and it plays a critical role in the customer’s overall experience.

Customer service covers only one stage of the journey, or one touchpoint, and focuses on addressing immediate concerns.

Customer Experience

On the other hand, customer experience is the sum of all interactions a customer has with a business across various touchpoints. It’s the long-term perception formed through every encounter, both before and after a purchase.

Alex Mead explains that “customer experience is the outcome of two clear things: a customer’s perception of the brand, product, and marketing interactions they have, and their perception of the sales and service interactions they have. CX is a result of these two distinct areas.”

Customer experience is proactive, encompassing every aspect of the customer journey, including brand perception, marketing, product engagement, and service interactions.

Unlike customer service, which focuses on a singular instance, customer experience is the holistic view of how customers perceive the company over time.

It’s not just about handling a complaint or answering a query; it’s about how the customer feels at every point of contact, from their first impression of the brand to their post-purchase support.

“Service is what customers expect, and experiences are what customers discover,” – Arshdeep.

How Service and Experience Work Together

While customer service is a crucial part of the customer experience, it’s just one piece of the puzzle. It serves as the delivery mechanism for key moments within the broader experience.

As Katie explains, “Customer service is a conduit for customer experience, and a crucial one at that.” A company might offer exceptional products and customer-centric policies, but without excellent customer service, these efforts may not resonate with the customer.

“Customer service is the delivery of the experience that the customer enjoys,” – Sugandha

The service a customer receives plays a defining role in shaping their broader experience. Great customer service can elevate a customer’s perception of a brand, while poor service can diminish an otherwise positive experience.

Ultimately, as Callum explains, “customer service is the moment. Customer experience is the ongoing relationship,”

The Difference Between Customer Experience and Customer Service

The difference between customer service and customer experience is explained in this video by Nikki Quinn at Playvox.

This article was made possible due to the great community of experts we have at Call Centre Helper, to get involved just join our LinkedIn Community and and if you aren’t already make sure you are following us on LinkedIn to see our latest content.

For ways to improve your customer service and experience, read these article next:

• How to Improve the Customer Experience – With a Checklist
• Customer Service Skills: How to Improve Empathy, Active Listening and Knowledge
• 20 Expert Ideas to Improve Your Customer Service Skills

Author: Rachael Trickey
Reviewed by: Hannah Swankie