customer service

noun

1

a

: support with products or services provided by a business to its customers

The company has won accolades for its customer service.

The commissioner has touted several improvements in customer service, including reducing the time it takes for agents to answer the national 800 number, shortening the wait times in field offices and reducing the initial disability claims backlog.

—Tami Luhby

b

: the aspect of business that involves providing support to customers

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly common part of how customer service works …

—Ingrid Lunden

2

a

: the department of a business that provides support to customers

The company has openings in customer service.

also : its staff or location

Whether you're dealing with a classic case of buyer's remorse or have questions about deals, damage to packages, or your … membership, it's good to know that you can actually speak to customer service.

—Christina Buff

… make sure to download the app. … This can save you hours waiting in theme park-sized lines at customer service.

—Erin Bendig

b

: the profession of providing business support to customers

What this means for job seekers is that … the city has become an ideal launchpad for those seeking long-term career growth in customer service, technology and related industries.

—MarketersMedia News Hub

Examples of customer service in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Shahsavani said called Waymo customer service as the vehicle made its way from Santa Monica into West Los Angeles and reached an agent. — Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 24 June 2026

The new grocery store has been looking for cashiers, customer service workers, stockers, cleaning staff, bartenders, and sushi preparers, along with other roles, according to a hiring post. — George Avalos, Mercury News, 24 June 2026

This year, many of those customer service workers have left. — ABC News, 24 June 2026

Even so, not every business is covered, so some subscriptions may still require contacting customer service or following company-specific cancellation procedures. — Faith Wakefield, USA Today, 24 June 2026

The answer is sometimes right there inside systems small businesses already use, including POS platforms, scheduling software, CRM systems, customer service tools, inventory platforms and dispatch software. — Serenity Gibbons, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026

The study reveals that consumers are open to specific agentic commerce features, such as Internet scanning for the cheapest product versions, customer service troubleshooting, and ordering routine household items. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 23 June 2026

The city of Plano is on a roll, and Mayor John Muns told CBS News Texas that the key to the city's successes comes down to customer service. — Jack Fink, CBS News, 23 June 2026

Do not assume the first customer service rep knows every option. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for customer service

• disservice
• preservice
• interservice
• nervous
• nervus