Redefining Customer Service

Customer Service is not the same as Customer care

I am particularly disturbed when organisations are referring to customer care issues but generalise it as Customer service. I will like to say that customer service is not the same as customer care. Customer care is "an intervention" that is aimed at resolving issues, placating aggrieved customers or perking customers to make them feel good. Customer service is a lot more encompassing, it is a customer's summation of all interactions had with a service provider at any particular point in time. This ,of course,  include the intervention called customer care. Customer service simply refers to service from the customers point of view or service as perceived by the customers

So you may ask what are the roles of organisations or companies - well they define who their customers are as well as give state their customer service promise, the extent of the fulfillment or otherwise of these promises is what make for good or bad customer service 

Organisations customer service promises will include availability of Quality products / services, good environment, timely responses and delivery, adequate information.

Sometimes when organisations speak of customer service they point to a customer care unit, outlet or post. Little wonder then why majority of the symbols representing customer service are people with headset or people facing computers and answering calls. Customer service, for all it represents, cannot be separated from the very reason an organisation came into existence for.