The department responsible for managing interactions with customers or potential customers within a company handles various tasks such as mail management, order processing, answering calls, written communication, complaints management, and payment processing.
- Customer Service
Yves Renoux explains that the creation of a customer service department aims first and foremost to establish regular contact with customers, listening attentively to their comments, criticisms, and complaints. This department's mission is to provide consumers with the best possible information about the company's products and services, while also managing relationships with consumer associations, relevant commercial authorities, and potentially the media. The primary objective is not so much to increase the company's revenue as it is to meet evolving consumer expectations.
- Customer service
Customer service encompasses all the human resources and organizational structures deployed to respond to customer requests for information and services before, during, and after a purchase. While often associated with after-sales service or customer support, it can also intervene before the purchase itself. The missions of customer service vary depending on the sector, with some focusing on pre-purchase inquiries while others concentrate on post-sales support.
The communication channels managed by customer service departments are diverse, with a growing predominance of digital channels in response to evolving consumer behavior. This has led to a shift from traditional call centers to customer contact or interaction centers. Despite this evolution, the telephone remains a major means of contact, succeeding postal mail in the history of customer service. Common channels include telephone, email, social media, live chat, chatbots, postal mail, and face-to-face meetings, which are often overlooked in the traditional view of customer support.
In 2017, the BVA annual Customer Service Observatory delivered key data on industry trends, while a Harris Interactive study, commissioned by Butagaz, explored the role of customer service as customer support.
- Customer Service
After-sales service, often abbreviated as ASS, refers to the support offered to customers after the purchase of a product or service. In various sectors, the performance of ASS can be crucial for attracting and retaining customers. A striking example is that of a retail chain that has based a significant part of its sales and marketing strategy on the excellence of its after-sales service.