Customer Experience and Customer Support are two related terms that are frequently used interchangeably, but while both are related, they are two different concepts.

Simply put, Customer support refers to the direct assistance that a company provides to customers to address their problems or questions. Usually involving a customer service representative who interacts with the customer to resolve issues related to a product or service with the goal of providing both effective and efficient resolutions to customer inquiries and problems.

On the other hand, Customer experience refers to the overall perception that a customer has of a company, based on all of their interactions with it including customer support, the company website, and even social. It encompasses the entire customer journey, from the first interaction to post-purchase support. The goal of customer experience is to create a positive, memorable, and satisfying interaction with a company that leaves the customer feeling valued and appreciated.

In short, customer support is a part of the customer experience, but the customer experience encompasses much more. While customer support is focused on solving immediate problems, customer experience is focused on creating a positive relationship with the customer over time.

In other words, it’s the difference between the limb and the tree.