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

The retailer reported profit for the latest quarter that blew past analysts’ forecasts, while saying an overhaul of its merchandise and better customer service is resonating with customers. —Stan Choe, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2026

Each has a stellar customer service record and is widely available. —Kelsey Neubauer, CNBC, 3 June 2026

Car owners can also contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 with recall number 26S34. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 3 June 2026

Contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for further information. —Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 June 2026

Ambassadors are part-time employees who wear yellow vests, provide customer service to passengers and look out for suspicious activity. —Caitlin McGlade, Charlotte Observer, 2 June 2026

Engineers are shipping code faster, customer service teams are resolving tickets in half the time, and operations teams are automating workflows that used to require approval from three departments. —Adrienne Down Coulson, Fortune, 2 June 2026

Consider how chatbots have changed customer service, for instance. —Dr. Bin Tang, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

When in doubt, call the carrier’s customer service line and ask an agent to check how full the flight is. —Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for customer service

• disservice
• preservice
• interservice
• nervous
• nervus