Years ago I had my first “Customer Service Manager” job, and while I loved the job, I hated the title. To me, “customer service” and “customer support” both carry a very strong implication that something has gone wrong and needs to be fixed. Even if that is in fact the case, it’s better to subtly steer the customer away from that impression. When a customer needs to contact me, whether it’s because something has gone wrong or they just need a little more information about something, I want them to have the feeling that I’m there to take care of them, to look after their needs. Thus, the title I prefer is “Customer Care.”
Over the years I’ve run into more twee titles, like “Happiness Expert,” “Service Ninja,” and of course we all know the Apple “Geniuses.” Those are fine, I guess, but feel to me like they’re trying too hard. “Customer Care” implies all the things we want – I’m on your side, I can handle of all your needs, I am here to take care of you – without feeling like maybe we’re all title and no follow through.
Throughout this blog, I will do my best to refer to the service we provide and the people who provide it as “customer care.” I think it is important that we think of it as customer care. We’re not just there when something goes wrong…we’re there when our customers aren’t sure how to use our products, when they want to make sure our product fits into their lives (literally or figuratively), when they want to suggest a new feature. And if we’re doing it right, we really do care about our customers.