PWC asserts that customer experience is everything. Salesforce advocates that customer experience should be the heart of your organisation.

We don't disagree with that. No doubt it's true, but we think the order of importance is not quite right. 

We believe that before customer service comes customer experience. Our bold claim is that service is the foundation of a great customer experience

Not convinced? Hear us out. 

What creates a great customer experience?

Service. It all boils down to service. Think about it. What do you remember most about your last interaction with a company or brand? Chances are it was their service. The way they treated you, the way they listened to what you had to say, the way they helped you solve your problem. That's why companies spend so much time on service. They know that if they can create a wonderful experience for customers, they'll have loyal customers who will spread the word and recommend them to others.

And how do you define customer service? 

Customer service is the actions your company takes before and after you have delivered your product or service. 

It’s when a company goes above and beyond to offer solutions to customers' problems. An ideal customer service is: 

• Timely

• Friendly

• Personalized

• Solves the customer's problems

You make sure your customer is satisfied by doing everything you can.

Why Customer Service comes before Customer Experience

PWC claims that customer experience is everything. Salesforce argues that the customer experience should be at the heart of your business.

We do not disagree with that. It is undoubtedly true, but we think the order of importance is not quite right.

However, we believe that before customer experience comes customer service. After all, service is the cornerstone of a great customer experience.

Not convinced? Let us explain.

What creates a great customer experience?

The service. It all boils down to service. Think about it. What do you remember most about your last interaction with a company or brand? It was probably the service. The way they treated you, the way they listened to you, the way they helped you solve your problem. That's why companies invest so much time in service. They know that if they give their customers a great experience, they will have loyal customers who will recommend them to others.

And how do you define customer service?

Customer service is what your business does before and after you deliver your product or service.

It's about a business doing more than just offering a solution to its customer's problems. Ideal customer service is:

• On-time

• Friendly

• Personal

• Solves the customer's problems

You make sure your customer is happy by doing everything you can

How is customer service different from customer experience?

People tend to use the terms customer service and customer experience interchangeably. However, despite their obvious similarities, the differences are striking.

Customer service is about providing the best possible solution to a problem. You provide a product or service and help people solve problems.

Customer experience, on the other hand, is about providing a great overall experience. It's about making sure that every touchpoint between you and your customers is positive. It's about making sure that every aspect of your relationship with the customer is enjoyable.

But wait! Are these two things not the same?

No. They are very different.

While customer service and customer experience have similar meanings, they are also very different.

For example, customer service is more transactional than customer experience. Customer experience, on the other hand, is more holistic.

This means that customer service focuses on solving a specific problem. Customer experience, on the other hand, focuses on delivering a comprehensive experience.

How is customer service related to customer experience?

The relationship between customer service and customer experience is like the relationship between sales and marketing. Both are important, but neither is more important than the other.

Because it does not directly impact profitability, customer service is often overlooked. But it is nonetheless critical to the success of any business.

So while customer experience is the ultimate goal of any business, customer service is the first step towards that goal.

Bottom line: if you want to create a great customer experience, your business should be focused on service. That's why we say that customer service is the cornerstone of experience. Because without it, there can be no great customer experience.

What does it take to deliver great customer service and customer experience?

Firstly, both require a human element. If you want to provide a great customer experience, you need to ensure that your customer service staff are trained. This will ensure that they understand your customers' needs and can communicate with them effectively.

Secondly, technology and automation are not the answer to all your business problems. You need to find a way to connect technology with your internal processes and people to find the sweet spot for excellent customer service. Technology is just a tool, or rather the means to an end - the customer experience.

Third, the customer experience is driven by employees. Empower your employees to improve customer experience by giving them the technology tools they need to do their jobs better.

The right service culture, new ways of working and empowering talent are key to creating phenomenal customer experiences. Technology alone will not solve the problem of customer satisfaction.

Summing up

If you want to build a great company, you should start with great customer service. If you want to create an amazing customer experience, focus on creating a culture where your customers feel valued and appreciated.

And if you wish to build the most successful company in the world, put customer service at the heart of everything you do.

And that's what we mean when we talk about Service Revolution.