What is the difference between customer service and customer support?
It may seem like splitting hairs, but it is not. Customer support often requires more technical abilities, and customer service is more of a positive approach, helping your company to keep customers happy. Sometimes a customer service agent will be on the frontlines and will need to escalate a customer issue to the support team. Give the interviewer your best understanding of service versus support.
"I understand customer support to be a larger term than customer service. Someone can be a customer service agent without being able to offer ample support that a client may need. It's important to offer both; however, a member of the support team will likely be better trained with special technical skills."
"I offer customer service to everyone that walks into the office. This service includes helping them get where they need to go, offering them water, and making their next appointment. I view customer support as an additional offering. Support is a term I save for when a task is aimed at helping the client overcome a problem."
"Customer service and customer support are often confused. I have two teams. My service team will gather the data, and my support team will deploy the actual solution."
"I believe that customer service and customer support go hand in hand, but they are very different concepts. Support requires more technical based skills and service is based more on company values and delivery."
"I am very well versed in both customer support and customer service. Customer service is more issue related such as helping a customer who wants a refund or is upset about their experience. Customer support is more geared to rewards programs, add-ons, perks, and promos."
"In my experience, customer support is more related to services that offer ongoing support to the customer, such as technical solutions. Customer service is more the day-to-day interactions with a customer when they need a resolution to a specific situation."
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
Customer service is the overall experience of the interaction. Customer support would be the way in which you are helping the Customer.
Cindy's Feedback
Interesting distinction. Can you explain with a little more detail? Perhaps start with your role and examples from your experience. When have you provided support and when have you provided service? Also, try to anticipate why the interviewer is asking this. Is this an important distinction from a company perspective? Why would they want new hires to understand the distinction?
