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Customer Service Vocabulary

Customer service refers to the assistance a customer gets from a business or the people who work for a business. Below are some vocabulary terms related to customer service.

 

customer service representative/customer service rep
A customer service representative is someone whose job is to provide customer service.
Our customer service representatives are trained to handle questions about our entire product line.

over-the-phone customer service
Over-the-phone customer service is when customers are helped over the phone. People with over-the-phone customer service positions don’t usually meet with customers in person.
Since Sally has an over-the-phone customer service position, she doesn’t have to wear formal clothes. She never has to meet customers in person.

face-to-face customer service
Face-to-face customer service is when customers are helped in person.
I’ve had different types of customer service positions, but I prefer face-to-face customer service. I like being able to help customers who are physically present. 

technical support/tech support
Technical support is customer service provided to users of technology.
We’re having problems with our internet connection. I’m going to call technical support to see if they can help.

product sales support
Product sales support is a type of customer service that involves answering customers’ questions about the products and services that a company offers. Products sale support involves helping customers choose the correct product or service for their needs.
If you aren’t sure which software program is correct, why don’t you call product sales support and ask them your questions?

outsourcing
Outsourcing refers to purchasing goods or services from an outside supplier.
Outsourcing helps many companies cut costs.

call center
A call center is a place where a high volume of phone calls is handled. Call centers can be part of a company or outsourced.
The new call center will be able to handle thousands of calls per day.

customer service training
Customer service training is the training a company gives their customer service representatives.
As part of our customer service training, we learned listening skills, empathy, problem solving, and friendliness.

customer base
Customer base refers to all the customers a company sells products/services to.
Our goal is to provide excellent service to our entire customer base, not just our biggest customers.

customer loyalty
Customer loyalty is when a customer continues to buy from a supplier instead of from competitors.
We offer a great product and back it up with the best service in the industry. Because of this, we have been able to achieve customer loyalty.

automated customer service
Automated customer service is when customer service is handled by an automatic process, such as a recorded phone message.
Even though it’s cheaper, we decided not to offer automated customer service.