Individuals are very likely to use and support interchangeably, however, there is an elemental difference between the two. This difference between these terms has quite a consequential impact on business design interactions, models of service, and meeting the needs of their customers. Through this blog, let's discuss both of these services and their differences.
Customer support is a service that assists a company in offering customers assistance when they are facing an issue or require assistance with a product or service. It is mainly referred to as a technical aspect of customer interaction. This support is necessary because of its reactiveness and providing solutions and solving issues to give customer satisfaction with their queries.
It is about providing support through omnichannel service which is support through email, chat, phone, or social media. The team in customer support assists you with technical issues or in breaking through usage bottlenecks.
Where customer support is reactive, customer service is proactive. The service is about the overall experience that a company offers to its customers. They help build a positive relationship and interaction throughout the customer journey to make them feel valued. There are stages in customer service from actual preceding, during to after a purchase.
The service covers making product suggestions, checking in with customers after purchase, and answering queries that are not technical at all. Simply, the BPO customer services help align companies in creating a loyal customer base and providing a smoother experience.
| Aspects | Customer Support | Customer Service |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Solving technical issues and product-related queries. | To build customer relationships and enhance the overall experience. |
| Approach | Mainly Reactive | Proactive & Reactive |
| Scope of Work | Focus on addressing technical issues post-purchase. | Covers the overall customer journey. |
| Communication Type | Solution-driven, precise, technical. | Empathetic, relationship-oriented. |
| Skills Required | Technical knowledge, troubleshooting, critical thinking, product expertise. | Communication, empathy, product knowledge, problem-solving. |
| Collaboration With | Product, IT and Engineering | Sales, marketing, customer support team |
Providing an excellent customer experience has become an essential and strategic point for every business. The customer support and service team combine their efforts to deliver a comprehensive and enhanced customer experience. The similarities between the two lie in:
Despite the difference between them, both customer support and service help businesses to handle their customer interaction more efficiently and effectively. Outsourcing of these services gives your business access to skilled professionals, scalability, and cost efficiency. At Razor Infotech, we provide our clients with excellent customer care services that align perfectly with their brand and customer expectations.
No, not precisely, although they have similar functions, customer service and customer support are not the same. In addition to helping clients during the purchasing process, customer service frequently follows up with customers after a sale. When an issue arises and needs to be fixed, customer service takes over. Problems are troubleshooted by the team.
The goal of customer service is to assist clients before, during, and even following a purchase. Its main goal is to establish positive relationships with customers, and it can be both proactive and reactive. Customer service is more responsive. It intervenes when a client runs into trouble and requires assistance resolving a particular problem.
Of course, the same person frequently performs both tasks in smaller teams. However, these positions typically divide as businesses grow. Bigger companies want specialized teams for both tasks, with customer support concentrating on technical problems and customer service on fostering relationships.
They have several things in common, such as the need for patience, empathy, and effective communication. However, there are also distinctions. Customer service relies largely on technical expertise to identify problems, diagnose them, and provide speedy solutions. However, active listening, emotional intelligence, and soft skills are more important in customer service.
