Customer service: when the company goes the extra mile to win the hearts of its customers!
In a society where perceived value is based more on the experience than on the object itself, a customer service that meets consumers' expectations is a real asset for companies. Whether it's solving a problem, asking a question or simply feeling listened to, customer service is no longer just a department, but also reflects the relationship between a brand and its customers.
As Frédéric Cavazza points out in his article "Le B-A-BA de l'expérience client", the customer experience is essential for satisfaction, loyalty and profitability, indicating that nurturing this experience is a viable lever for differentiation in the long term. The figures also bear this out. In fact, according to a study conducted by Zendesk in 2023, 64% of business leaders claim that customer service is one of the factors with the greatest impact on their company's growth, and 60% that it improves customer loyalty.
So it's vital for companies to clearly define what customer service is. In this article, Appvizer sheds light on the definition of customer service and the challenges it represents.
What is customer service? Definition
Customer service is defined as all the actions a company takes to assist its customers, not only by meeting their immediate expectations, but also by anticipating their future needs.
This support is continuous, and is therefore operational before, during and after the purchasing action. It is a dynamic process, encompassing all interactions designed to ensure that every customer feels valued and listened to at every stage of their journey. Customer service extends beyond simple problem-solving, and becomes a loyalty-building tool.
What is the role of a customer service department?
Assisting customers
First and foremost, its mission is to welcome and guide consumers throughout their purchasing journey.
- Upstream, this involves answering prospects' questions, notably by providing them with feedback systems (such as customer reviews) to positively influence their decision.
- During the purchasing process, customer service must ensure that the process runs smoothly, while respecting rules such as the secure double-click.
- Finally, after the purchase has been made, customer service is responsible for active listening and the rapid resolution of any problems, while encouraging repeat purchases, for example by offering discount vouchers.
Key to customer loyalty
Secondly, customer service must reinforce customer satisfaction and, in this way, facilitate customer loyalty. Customer service plays a part in this quest:
- by offering fast, relevant and personalized responses;
- creating a positive experience by personalizing the offer and encouraging customer feedback;
- enhancing the company's brand image by building a high-quality customer/company relationship.
In this way, the customer service department builds a bond of trust that is more or less strong and lasting, depending on its transparent and human communication.
Crucial to profitability
Finally, customer service plays a financial role for the company. Its objective is not only to identify and respond to customers' needs and expectations, but also to respect the interests of the organization. Customer service contributes to a company's objectives and performance:
- by providing an excellent customer experience, which in turn leads to recommendations or additional sales;
- by anticipating trends and needs, enabling the company to remain competitive;
- by increasing customer retention rates.
What is good customer service?
Listening and empathy
In a world where technology plays an increasingly important role, customers want more than ever to be understood and reassured. So it's essential that customer service preserves a human dimension in every interaction. 🤗
To offer a customer service that meets these criteria, it's first necessary to pay active attention to what the customer has to say, without interrupting or assuming what he or she wants to say. Really understand your customers' needs and expectations, even if they are not explicitly expressed. To understand their desires, put yourself in their shoes to better identify their frustrations, doubts or enthusiasms.
Then, respond to their requests with kindness , adapting your approach according to their emotional state (calming, reassuring, encouraging). Show your customers that you value their words by rephrasing their requests. They'll feel understood and you'll avoid any misinterpretation. What's more, offer personalized solutions by avoiding over-automated responses.
👉 Being a good listener and empathetic in customer service transforms a simple response into a real human experience, and creates a bond of trust that can build lasting customer loyalty.
Be responsive
Be quick and to the point with your answers. A study carried out by Ringover in 2025 found that one in seven consumers consider customer service responsiveness to be a major factor influencing repeat purchases within an organization.
However, it's not enough to respond quickly to customer requests, questions or complaints. It's the job of customer service to recognize and deal with the reported problem immediately , even if the complete solution takes longer.
Our advice: provide the first elements of solutions from the very first interactions, and anticipate possible questions or needs rather than waiting for the customer to call you back.
Don't leave your customer in doubt and uncertainty! Adapt your response according to the urgency of the situation, and multiply the points of immediate access to be available on :
- telephone,
- email,
- chat,
- social networks, etc. to multiply immediate access points.
👉 Responsiveness in a customer service department shows the customer that he or she is a priority, listened to and that the company is committed to providing fast, quality service.
Personalized responses
Personalized responses are no longer just an asset, but an essential requirement of modern customer service. According to McKinsey research, 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions from companies, and 76% say they are frustrated when they don't receive one. This high level of expectation underlines the importance for companies of offering appropriate communications to each customer in order to boost satisfaction and loyalty.
So, take into account each customer's profile, journey and particular expectations in order to tailor your response optimally. In addition, take the context into consideration and use known and relevant information to create a more human and caring communication. To set the framework for the interaction, ask yourself these questions:
- What type of product or service are you buying?
- What is the problem encountered?
What preferences have been expressed?
☝️Assurez try to respond appropriately and accurately to the customer's request. Generic answers may seem disconnected, and the customer mustn't feel like just another number!
The 4 benefits of good customer service
Better analysis of customer expectations
Good customer service means better analysis of customer expectations, because it doesn't just deal with requests. Indeed, good customer service :
- actively listens,
- structures the information it gathers,
- knows how to extract useful information from it,
- asks the right questions,
- reformulates expressed and implicit needs
- centralizes customer feedback.
Thanks to its multiple skills and its willingness to anticipate customer needs, a good customer service department is able to analyze and understand customer expectations in depth.
A good customer service department also uses tracking tools to analyze data in an organized way and feed back reliable trends to the marketing or sales teams. What's more, it enables greater proactivity and attention to detail, and thus becomes a lever for developing the offering in line with real market expectations.
Enhance your reputation
Quality customer service creates positive, memorable experiences, encouraging customers to recommend the company to others. Customer ambassadors tend to share their positive opinions by word-of-mouth or via social networks, which reinforces the brand's reputation and awareness in an organic way.
Maintaining a good customer experience means responding to problems in an efficient way, which fosters the trust of customers who believe in a brand that cares about their satisfaction. The result is loyal customers, who are more inclined to return and keep buying.
What's more, a loyal customer often becomes a brand ambassador, enhancing perception of the company and creating a community that attracts other buyers. This community is further developed by the company's response to customer feedback and comments, particularly on public platforms, building a positive image and minimizing the negative effects of unfavorable reviews.
✅ As a result, good customer service is a significant differentiator, with which a company can build a favorable perceived value and enjoy a reputation for superior quality.
A brand image aligned with its positioning
Good customer service reinforces a brand's image by aligning it with its positioning. It is the first point of contact between the customer and the company, and represents the experience the brand wishes to offer.
Indeed, a customer service that reflects the brand's values reinforces the perception of a company that is true to its positioning. For example, a high-end brand will emphasize ultra-personalized, attentive service, while a young, dynamic brand will favor responsiveness and accessibility.
In addition, a quality customer service is one that adapts to its target market. For example, a premium segment with exceptional customer service becomes an essential means of enhancing this positioning. Conversely, for a brand focused on value for money, fast, efficient service will meet its objectives.
So excellent customer service is capable of translating a company's brand image into concrete action, while reinforcing its credibility in the eyes of consumers.
Loyalty
As we discussed earlier, good customer service is one of the most powerful levers for building customer loyalty (McKinsey study). By responding quickly to requests and resolvingproblems effectively, it can turn a potentially negative situation into an opportunity to strengthen the relationship.
Remember: personalized service, which takes into account each customer's specific needs and preferences, creates a sense of recognition and appreciation, essential for encouraging customers to return.
What's more, proactive customer service, which anticipates customers' needs and offers solutions even before they ask for them, reinforces the perception of the company as attentive and reliable. By fostering a relationship of trust and delivering an experience that exceeds expectations, good customer service creates lasting loyalty, encouraging customers to return and recommend the company to others. This loyalty is the result not only of the quality of the product or service, but also of the way in which the customer feels cared for and respected throughout their journey.
How to provide good customer service?
Tools to optimize your customer service
Customer service software
Customer service software is a technological tool used by companies to manage and optimize interactions with their customers. They are designed to centralize and automate various customer service functions, enabling smooth and efficient management, across multiple communication channels, of :
- requests
- complaints
- requests.
The main aim of this software is to guarantee a rapid and consistent response, while improving the overall customer experience.
Customer service software features vary from solution to solution, but generally include :
- ticket management, which tracks every customer interaction from initial contact through to resolution,
- automated responses using chatbots or pre-recorded answers,
- customer data analysis: feedback, satisfaction trends, etc.
These features support strategic decision-making. Customer service software also offers tools for monitoring customer service performance, with detailed reports on :
- response time,
- problem resolution,
- overall customer satisfaction.
Some software also includes knowledge bases accessible to customers to help them solve simple problems autonomously, thus reducing agents' workload.
Marketing automation software
Marketing automation software are tools designed to automate and optimize repetitive marketing tasks, enabling companies to manage their communication campaigns more effectively while improving customer engagement. They provide a centralized platform for automating :
- sending emails,
- lead management
- prospect scoring,
- user behavior analysis.
The main aim of marketing automation software is to improve the efficiency of marketing teams while delivering a personalized, seamless experience to customers and prospects, thereby strengthening loyalty and conversion efforts.
The main functionalities of marketing automation software include :
- audience segmentation,
- sending personalized automated emails
- creating automated customer journeys (often called conversion funnels).
These tools also make it possible to manage multi-channel campaigns (via email, SMS, social networks, etc.). What's more, lead management and lead nurturing are an integral part of the functionality of marketing automation platforms, where users can be supported at every stage of their buying journey. Data analysis and detailed reporting make it possible to assess campaign effectiveness and adapt strategies in real time. Tools can also include :
- A/B testing,
- campaign performance tracking,
- integration with other tools.
Outsourcing customer service?
Benefits of outsourcing
Outsourcing customer service means entrusting the management of a company's customer service to a specialized external service provider, instead of running the department in-house.
Firstly, outsourcing customer service can reduce operational costs. One reason is that companies can save on the costs of hiring, training and managing in-house teams. What's more, some service providers offer services in geographical areas where wage costs are lower.
But beware: cheaper doesn't mean less expert! External service providers have the experience and tools needed to offer a quality service. This enables the company to benefit from best practices and cutting-edge technologies without having to invest heavily.
Finally, outsourcing customer service enables the company to concentrate on its core business, by delegating a non-strategic function to a specialist, and thereby maximizing its overall performance.
Disadvantages of outsourcing
However, it is important to bear in mind the disadvantages of outsourcing. It can lead to a loss of control over the quality and manner in which service is delivered, which can undermine the consistency of the customer experience. What's more, outsourcing often involves entrusting sensitive customer data to external service providers. The company must ensure that the provider meets strict standards in terms of data security and regulatory compliance (such as the RGPD).
Customer service, a pillar of corporate performance
In short, customer service is much more than just a function within a company. As we have seen, it encompasses all interactions aimed at meeting customers' needs, resolving their problems, and improving their satisfaction at every stage of their journey. Beyond these reactive aspects, modern customer service takes a proactive approach, anticipating consumers' needs through the use of technological tools and increasingly personalized responses.
Today, customer experience is becoming a decisive criterion for customer loyalty. Indeed, a well-managed customer service is distinguished by its ability to enhance a company's reputation and contribute directly to its long-term success. Not only does it meet expectations, but it also creates a genuine relationship of trust with consumers.
Customer service FAQs
What's the difference between customer service and customer support?
Customer service encompasses all interactions aimed at accompanying, satisfying and retaining customers throughout their journey, while customer support intervenes specifically to resolve technical problems or respond to specific requests after the purchase.
What is a help desk?
A help desk is a structure (often telephone or online) dedicated to helping customers by providing answers, technical solutions or support in the event of a problem with a product or service.
What are the best customer service software packages?
✅ Freshdesk
✅ Service cloud
✅ Zoho Desk
✅Salesforce Starter
Article translated from French