1.
customer service
The service provided to customers by a company — both the department or staff dedicated to handling customer inquiries and complaints, and the broader concept of how a company treats its customers before, during, and after a purchase.
If you have any inquiries, please contact the customer service department.
Composed of 顧客 (customer, client) and サービス (service). A formal, business-register term for what is called 'customer service' in English. The corresponding department within a company is often called 顧客サービス部 or 顧客サービス部門.
Usage
Refers both to:
- **The service itself**: how a company handles inquiries, complaints, and after-sales support.
- **The department**: the staff or unit responsible for these activities.
In casual speech or shop-floor contexts, speakers often use 接客 (serving / attending to customers in person) or the shorter お客様サービス instead.
Common collocations
- 顧客サービスを提供する: to provide customer service
- 顧客サービスを向上させる / 強化する: to improve / strengthen customer service
- 顧客サービスの質: the quality of customer service
- 顧客サービス部: customer service department
- 顧客サービスセンター: customer service center
Similar words
- お客様サービス: customer service — a more customer-facing label commonly used on websites and signage; softer register
- 接客: serving customers; customer-facing service — the in-person interaction side (waitstaff, shop clerks); not used for phone or email support
- カスタマーサービス: customer service — direct katakana equivalent; common in IT and e-commerce
- アフターサービス: after-sales service — service provided after the sale (repairs, support); a subset of 顧客サービス
- 顧客対応: customer handling / response — the process of responding to a particular customer or inquiry
Related Words
Compare:
接客 (serving customers)
Compare:
顧客対応 (customer handling / response)
Compare:
カスタマーサポート (customer support)