Explore our concise glossary of essential customer service terms, curated to equip service leaders and professionals with the terminology necessary for success. From foundational concepts to industry-specific jargon, this resource offers clear definitions to enhance your understanding and elevate your customer service capabilities.
A comprehensive understanding of a customer's interactions, preferences, and history across all touchpoints and channels.
The rate at which customers or accounts are lost or discontinued.
An individual responsible for interacting with customers to address inquiries, provide assistance, and resolve issues.
The overall satisfaction and engagement level of customer service agents in their roles.
The efficiency and effectiveness with which customer service agents handle tasks and resolve issues.
The cost associated with supporting or employing a single customer service agent.
The percentage of time that customer service agents spend actively handling customer issues.
The average duration an agent spends on handling a customer inquiry or issue, from initiation to resolution.
The average time it takes for a customer to receive the first response from a customer service representative after submitting a request.
The average time it takes for an agent to respond to a customer message or inquiry.
The designated operating hours during which a business provides customer service or conducts its operations.
A centralized facility where customer service agents handle incoming and outgoing telephone calls.
Predefined and standardized responses that agents can use to address common customer queries quickly.
The time it takes for an agent to fully resolve a customer case or issue.
The process of tracking and managing customer cases or issues from initiation to resolution.
The method of directing customer cases to the appropriate individuals or teams for resolution.
Monitoring and recording the time spent on handling and resolving customer cases.
Various communication avenues through which customers can interact with a business, such as phone, email, chat, and social media.
A computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users, often used in customer service to provide instant responses.
The rate at which customers stop doing business with a company or cease using its services.
An integrated platform that manages various communication channels to facilitate customer interactions.
The total cost incurred by a business to provide service and support to its customers.
The practice of offering customers additional or related products/services beyond their initial purchase.
The amount of effort a customer has to exert to achieve a desired outcome in their interaction with a company.
A metric that gauges the ease with which customers can get their issues resolved or their needs fulfilled.
The level of involvement, interaction, and connection a customer has with a brand.
The anticipated level of service or product performance that customers believe they should receive.
The overall impression and perception a customer has of a brand based on their interactions and experiences.
The predicted net profit a company expects to earn from a customer throughout their entire relationship.
The likelihood of a customer to continue purchasing from or working with a specific brand over time.
A system or strategy for managing and analyzing customer interactions throughout the customer lifecycle.
The ability of a business to keep existing customers over an extended period.
A metric that measures how satisfied customers are with a company's products, services, or interactions.
An individual who interacts directly with customers to address inquiries, provide information, and resolve issues.
A business strategy that focuses on ensuring customers achieve their desired outcomes and derive value from a product or service.
Activities and services provided by a company to help customers use and troubleshoot products or services.
A business approach that prioritizes the needs and satisfaction of customers in all aspects of operations.
The ability to accomplish tasks with minimal waste of time, resources, or effort.
The overall satisfaction and engagement of employees within an organization.
The rate at which employees leave a company and are replaced by new hires.
The process of routing customer issues to higher levels of support or management for resolution.
A continuous process of collecting, analyzing, and applying customer feedback to improve products or services.
On-site support or services provided by technicians or representatives directly at the customer's location.
The percentage of customer issues that are resolved on the first interaction without the need for further contact.
The time it takes for a customer to receive the initial response after reaching out to customer support.
The use of game-like elements, such as rewards and competitions, to encourage and motivate customer service agents.
A resource or support center where customers can get assistance and information regarding products or services.
Customer support services provided within a software application or platform.
Metrics used to evaluate the performance and effectiveness of a business or individual.
A centralized repository of information that provides answers to frequently asked questions and guidance on using products or services.
A methodology and approach to customer service that emphasizes the creation, management, and reuse of knowledge as a fundamental asset in supporting customers. KCS aims to transform customer service from a reactive, transactional activity to a proactive, knowledge-driven practice, ultimately improving the efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction of both customers and service providers.
A survey scale that measures respondents' agreement or disagreement with a series of statements.
Real-time online communication between customers and customer service representatives through a chat interface.
Providing customer support through various communication channels, such as phone, email, chat, and social media.
A metric that measures customer loyalty by asking how likely customers are to recommend a company to others.
Seamless integration and consistency of customer support across multiple channels for a unified experience.
Tailoring products, services, or interactions to individual customer preferences and characteristics.
Taking initiative and being proactive in addressing customer needs and resolving issues.
The measure of a company's ability to generate profit, often expressed as a percentage of revenue.
A waiting line of customers or tasks, often used in the context of call centers or ticketing systems.
The percentage of customer issues or inquiries that are successfully resolved.
The time it takes for a customer to receive a response from customer service after initiating contact.
The promptness and timeliness with which a company or its representatives address customer inquiries or issues.
Resolving customer issues correctly on the first attempt without the need for follow-up.
A method of distributing tasks or inquiries evenly among a group of agents or resources.
A customer relationship management (CRM) platform that provides tools for managing and analyzing customer interactions.
Allowing customers to find information, troubleshoot issues, or perform tasks on their own without direct assistance from a representative.
The percentage of customer issues that are resolved through self-service methods without agent intervention.
A customer service platform or software that facilitates and manages customer interactions.
An organizational culture that prioritizes and values excellent customer service.
A formal commitment regarding the level of service a customer can expect, including response and resolution times.
Individuals with expertise and in-depth knowledge in specific areas, often consulted for complex problem-solving.
A record of a customer inquiry or issue in a tracking system, used to manage and monitor the resolution process.
A method of collecting feedback and opinions from customers to assess satisfaction and gather insights.
A record or case representing a customer inquiry, issue, or request for support.
The process of directing customer tickets to the appropriate department or individual for resolution.
A support model with multiple levels or tiers, each handling issues of increasing complexity.
A ticket that has not yet been assigned to a specific customer service agent or team.
The practice of persuading customers to purchase additional or upgraded products or services.
The efficiency and effectiveness with which resources, such as agents or equipment, are utilized.