Customer service describes what happens at the points where customers come into contact with the business. It is usually described as information, advice, convenience and after-sales service. The importance of customer service can be seen at all stages during the process of buying, and continues through into the after-sales service process.
It is important that any business keeps its customers happy. This is because, financially, it costs five times as much to gain a new customer as it does to keep an existing one. As all businesses operate in a highly competitive sector, each one must offer excellent customer service or customers will go to competitors.
An important consideration for customer service is that customers can be external or internal. Internal customers are employees and departments within the company, all of which rely on each other. External customers are the end-users, or buyers of your products/services. Excellent internal customer service will be reflected in excellent external service.