I am often asked if Customer Experience is the same as Customer Service when I tell people what I do.
The short answer is: No. They are not the same.
Customer service is only one aspect of the customer experience. It’s one interaction with the customer. Customer experience, however, is everything the customer goes through when interacting with a brand.
For example, if you decided to book a restaurant by picking up the phone and calling to reserve for two. The customer agent was friendly and gave you some recommendations on a special night that will have a discounted rate. That is good customer service.
When, however, you go to the restaurant, have someone pick up your car for valet, receive a flashing smile from the host, get seated in a comfortable seat with a breathtaking view, have an interactive menu with lots of mouthwatering pictures that make it easy for you to choose, order the food, and have it arrive early, and get a dessert as a treat for free. That’s a great customer experience.
Read: What does customer experience mean?