customer-service
/ˈkʌs.tə.mə ˌsɜː.vɪs/ IELTSAcademic
noun
The help and support a company gives to people who buy its products or use its services. It includes answering questions, solving problems, and handling complaints.
- The customer-service team answered my refund request.
- Good customer-service keeps people coming back.
- She works in customer-service at a bank.
Adinary Nuance
Customer-service is broader than support or help. It often means the whole department, system, or attitude a company uses to deal with customers. Use support when you mean technical or product help; use customer-service when you mean the full customer-facing experience.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- dịch vụ khách hàng
- Spanish
- atención al cliente
- Chinese
- 客户服务
- Japanese
- カスタマーサービス
- Korean
- 고객 서비스
Etymology
This compound comes from customer and service, both Old French words that entered English through Middle English. It became common in modern business English in the 20th century.
Common phrases
customer-service teamcustomer-service representativecustomer-service deskcustomer-service skills
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is customer-service a formal word?
- Yes. It is common in business, workplace, and professional writing.
- What is the difference between customer-service and support?
- Support often means help with a product or technical issue. Customer-service is broader and can include complaints, returns, and general care.
- Can I use customer-service for one person?
- Yes. You can say a person works in customer-service, or call them a customer-service representative.