Many people often confuse customer service and customer support as the same thing. However, these two notions are quite different in their offerings and objectives. However, companies (especially in the technology world) need both. Why?
In today's market, one of the only ways companies can stay ahead of the game is by distancing themselves from the competition as much as possible. They do this through obvious marketing funnels like TV ads, social media ads, influencers, paid search ads, and so on.
However, when listing the differences between a company and its competition, one of the most important aspects is usually ignored: providing excellent customer support along with customer service. Every consumer has no doubt heard these 2 terms interchangeably when in reality they each represent their own separate service and types of customer service with different offerings covered.
Fortunately, many technology companies offer both services, but each has its own unique requirements and standards. For any business owner looking to improve their business or anyone looking to enter the workforce, it is important to understand the difference between the two terms and understand why they are both important.
What is customer support then?
Customer support is a feature that allows customers to get quick answers to their queries and proactively resolve issues. Also known as technical support, customer support teams provide assistance to customers who have purchased products or services and are having questions or problems with them.
Customer support teams are responsible for maintaining the quality of the user experience for the company's customers and ensuring that all users receive reliable, timely, and effective support when needed. This includes tasks such as answering emails, calls and support messages and guiding customers through technical solutions focused on short-term issues. These teams typically represent more “hard” or technical skills in their workforces when compared to customer service.
What is customer service?
Customer service is an important aspect of every industry, but especially in the world of technology. It’s a person’s first point of contact when they need to get in touch – and how a company treats them can determine the success or failure of the customer experience. It's a team effort focused on providing a friendly, helpful and professional experience to help improve the customer's relationship with the company.
A customer service representative helps customers place orders, answer questions, and provide general information. Customer service is undoubtedly a critical component to a company's success, as it is an experience that consumers will always remember and are sure to leave reviews about.
Types of Customer Service vs. Customer Support
While each may seem similar on the surface, customer service and customer support are actually quite different, even though they are both types of customer service . Below are some of the main differences between the 2 offerings:
Specific vs Broad
Customer support is a specific set of actions, while customer service is an umbrella term. Support focuses on the needs of individual customers with the goal of providing fast, accurate, and efficient communication and response, typically by phone or email. Individuals involved in customer support teams generally have more technical or product/service-based knowledge for real-time problem solving.
Customer service focuses on providing good customer experiences as a whole. The goal is to create positive relationships between technology companies and customers in every interaction. Therefore, customer support requires a specific skill set to solve the specific problem, while customer service requires a broader set of “softer” office skills, including communication, conflict resolution, and so on.
Some customers versus all customers
Customer support is only needed when there is an issue with specific customers about the product or service, which makes it a very good thing for technology companies to invest time and effort in providing such a feature. Customer service is about making sure every customer feels valued and appreciated.
In customer support, the team provides solutions that are immediately applicable to some customers. When it comes to customer service, the team focuses on the needs of each customer and offers personalized service that is best suited to them.
For example, some customers may want a solution on how to solve a specific problem regarding the company's product or service, but all customers want to know whether the services provided by the company are adequate.
Reactive vs Proactive
Customer support is about answering questions and providing troubleshooting or technical support to a customer. It is reactive because the support team responds to an issue when it occurs and reacts as quickly as possible to resolve it. Customer service is proactive because the team works to create positive interactions and prevent problems from occurring.
Technical Value vs Relationship Focus
Customer support mainly focuses on resolving issues raised by customers and providing technical support to resolve the issue. Customer service aims to improve the relationship between a company and its customers.
Customer support refers to a company's technical ability to help with problems. Customer service, however, is a company's ability to provide exceptional customer experiences and build relationships with them. Therefore, customer support is more of a task, while customer service is more of an attitude.
Short Term vs Long Term
Customer support is a temporary role in the technology industry. The goal is to resolve customer issues quickly and efficiently. If a customer needs to contact technical support, they must describe the problem. The customer support team can suggest a solution to resolve the issue encountered by the customer.
Customer service, on the other hand, is the foundation of a company. It’s about providing quality service over time. Customer support applies to customers who have already purchased the product, but the service applies to anyone who contacts the company, whether they purchased the product or not.
Efficiency vs Satisfaction
Customer support is a process designed to resolve customer issues as efficiently as possible. It is measured by factors such as how quickly the team resolves the issue at hand and how long it takes to reach a complete resolution. Customer service is a personal relationship, not just an administrative one, and it is typically felt in all aspects of a company. Customer happiness with the service is the measurable success rate.
Final verdict: Are customer service and customer support the same thing?
Simply put, the answer is no. Customer service and support are two very distinct but equally vital aspects of businesses across all sectors and industries. In the technology industry, each of these teams is extremely important to both customers and the business itself, as the company's reputation, customer base and return rate are at stake.
