What is customer care? Definition, importance + best practices

Imagine ordering a ceramic planter online only to arrive in thousands of tiny pieces.

This happened to Sam Chandler, director of startup success at Zendesk. The shattered planter was disappointing enough, but then she dreaded a time-consuming customer service experience. “I thought I was going to have to jump through all of these hoops and explain what happened,” she says.

But the company didn’t even request proof that the planter was broken. The caring representative treated her kindly, showed empathy, and didn’t ask many questions. After the experience, Chandler didn’t think twice about sticking with the business.

Customer care can mean the difference between a one-off purchase and lasting customer loyalty. Learn how to give your buyers the royal treatment so they keep coming back.

More in this guide:

• Customer experience vs. customer service vs. customer care
• Why customer care is important
• What are the 4 C’s of customer care?
• Who should handle customer care?
• 5 customer care examples
• How to improve your customer care
• How to measure customer care
• Frequently asked questions
• Excel in customer care with Zendesk

Customer experience vs. customer service vs. customer care

Customer experience, customer service, and customer care are sometimes used interchangeably. Each has the same ultimate goal—increasing satisfaction and retention—but some key differences distinguish them.

Customer service vs. customer care 

Customer service (or customer support) is the act of helping customers in their discovery, use, and troubleshooting of a product or service. It also includes the processes that enable a good customer service experience.

Customer care goes one step further by ensuring agents solve customer problems while supporting their emotional needs.

Take Chandler’s broken planter. Even if it was the company standard to send replacements without asking questions, the support agent made Chandler feel like they tailored the solution to her situation.

Customer experience vs. customer care 

Customer experience encompasses the entire customer journey with a brand, from pre-purchase to post-purchase. It may or may not include contacting customer service or receiving customer care.

Chandler’s experience with the planter company began with her clicking on an appealing Instagram ad. The ad took her to the product page, which clearly described the planter’s size and shape. The company offered free shipping, and she could use Apple Pay, so she purchased the planter. Her customer journey culminated in the agent’s response to the broken planter. That customer care moment fostered an emotional connection that dramatically improved Chandler’s overall customer experience.

Why customer care is important

It’s imperative to have excellent customer care teams because any customer service interaction can pose a liability for your business. According to the 2023 National Consumer Rage Study, the number of customers who prefer to vent their grievances on social media more than doubled since 2020.

Because unhappy customers are likely to share their woes with others, a single negative customer service experience can damage your reputation, even if your agents mostly deliver positive experiences.

When you make customer care a business priority, you lower the risk of liability, build trust, reduce churn, and boost your bottom line.

Improves brand reputation 

Too many businesses treat service as an afterthought—something to deal with after the sale rather than a core part of their identity. You can feel the difference immediately when interacting with companies that are customer-obsessed.

While some consumers are eager to leave negative reviews, many are also willing to write positive reviews, which boosts your brand’s reputation in the eyes of prospective customers. According to BrightLocal’s 2025 Local Consumer Review Survey, 64 percent of shoppers will consider leaving a review for a good experience.

Strengthens customer trust 

Any customer service team can handle the return of a broken product. But the one that lets buyers vent their frustration before patiently guiding them toward a resolution will build trust. People are more likely to believe in brands that treat them like human beings, not action items they need to check off a list.

Customer trust enables brands to further strengthen the customer experience. When someone experiences a problem handled with empathy and efficiency, they often emerge from the experience with stronger loyalty than customers who never encountered an issue at all.

Reduces churn 

Consumers take support interactions seriously. According to Zendesk Benchmark data, 73 percent of consumers will switch to a competitor after multiple bad experiences, and more than 50 percent will switch after only one bad experience.

While customer support plays a role in making consumers happy, customer care is the factor that makes them stick around. Build meaningful relationships with your buyers—instead of just addressing their tickets—and they’ll be less likely to see a faux pas as a negative, churn-worthy experience.

What are the 4 C’s of customer care?

The 4 C’s of customer care provide a framework for delivering exceptional service that resonates with customers on both practical and emotional levels. They can transform ordinary service interactions into memorable customer experiences when done right.

• Compassion: Great service starts with caring. Not the “smile in your voice” kind of caring, but the real, human kind that sees a frustrated customer as a person to support instead of a problem to fix. When representatives demonstrate empathy, like the agent who didn’t ask questions about Sam Chandler’s broken planter, customers feel valued rather than treated as just another ticket number.
• Competence: Kindness is great, but it’s not very reassuring if the person helping you doesn’t know the difference between a refund and a return. Customers want to feel like they’re in capable hands. A competent agent can solve issues quickly, explain things clearly, and—most importantly—not pass you around like a hot potato.
• Convenience: Nobody wakes up excited to contact customer support. So when it happens, folks just want it to be easy. Convenience in customer care involves making it easy for customers to get the help they need, through the channels they prefer, and at a time that suits them.
• Consistency: Customers should receive the same level of care regardless of which channel they use or which rep they speak with. Consistency builds trust and sets clear expectations. When support is steady and predictable, it builds trust. And trust keeps people coming back, even when things go wrong.

By aligning your customer care strategy with these four principles, you create a holistic approach that addresses the technical aspects of service and the human connection customers crave.

Who should handle customer care?

Your representatives are responsible for customer care. A qualified customer care representative should possess the following characteristics and skills:

• A helpful nature

• Friendliness and empathy

• Active listening

• Quick decision-making

• Problem-solving

Along with these qualities, representatives should also embody your company’s core values.

With these customer service skills and alignment, candidates will be in a good position to provide customer care.

5 customer care examples

Customer care is about going above and beyond for consumers, but what does that look like in practice? These brands are great examples of companies caring for customers.

Zappos: Thank loyal customers with extra benefits 

Customer care doesn’t only take place when a customer has a problem. It can also revolve around showing appreciation to deserving customers. Shoe company Zappos, for instance, sent an existing customer a $50 voucher toward another purchase.

Customer appreciation is particularly important for customer retention. A special discount or personalized thank-you letter can be enough to keep that customer in the fold.

Spotify: Put customers in the driver’s seat 

Spotify’s customer care team is proactive. The company’s support agents anticipate pain points or possible complaints by asking customers what features they want to see on the platform.

When customers click on the link, they’re taken to a community forum where they can submit an idea. Other community members vote on it, and Spotify uses those votes to determine which features to implement.

Glossier: Turn customer mistakes into opportunities 

Online skincare boutique Glossier used customer care to turn an error into a positive experience for all parties involved.

Because the company wasn’t at fault, they could have simply given Courtney an account credit. But in choosing customer care, they flipped the situation into an opportunity for customer retention (Courtney) and acquisition (her friend).

CNH Care: Building empathy-driven customer relationships

Healthcare provider Connect and Heal (CNH Care) demonstrates how empathy-centered customer care can transform service interactions, especially in high-stakes situations. When people reach out with health concerns, they’re often anxious, overwhelmed, and desperately hoping for reassurance, not just answers.

Linish Theodore, CNH’s assistant VP of customer experience, recalls a moment that captures this ethos perfectly. “One of our agents received a call asking to reschedule a lab diagnostic test. When asked if there was any particular reason for rescheduling, the caller said that his house had just burned down. The customer was still very distraught, and our agent decided to stay on the phone until the customer calmed down.”

The agent didn’t check a script or transfer the call. They stayed on the line and listened because, in that moment, being human mattered more than being efficient.

Virgin Atlantic: Respect customers’ time 

People hate long hold times, especially when they’re traveling. Virgin Atlantic showed customer care by calling back a stressed traveler after they got disconnected.

Virgin Atlantic understands that successful customer care means respecting buyers and practicing empathy. By limiting the traveler’s hold time, the company gave them more time to either plan or enjoy their trip.

How to improve your customer care

Customer care representatives need resources and guidance to provide an exceptional level of assistance. Below are some of the best tools and practices for your team to adopt.

Invest in AI and automation 

Today’s customer care teams are dealing with higher inquiries across more channels than ever. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation can help your team handle this increased workload without sacrificing quality or personal touch.

Modern AI-powered solutions, like AI agents, can now handle entire interactions from start to finish, thanks to advancements in conversational AI and real-time learning from customer service databases.

Organizations are finding even more value in AI and automation when it comes to self-service and revenue generation. It can help

• Improve knowledge base content.

• Automatically flag outdated articles.

• Suggest new articles based on customer behavior.

• Analyze purchase history and user activity to offer tailored product recommendations or timely promotions.

What’s particularly encouraging is that customer attitudes toward AI have shifted dramatically. The Zendesk Customer Experience Trends Report 2025 found that consumer favorability of AI in CX has skyrocketed to 67 percent, up 10 percentage points year over year. This means customers are increasingly comfortable interacting with AI systems, especially when they deliver quick, accurate solutions.

Embrace WFM and QA best practices

Workforce management (WFM) and quality assurance (QA) might not be customer-facing, but they play a significant role in shaping every customer interaction by ensuring your support team is set up for success.

Effective workforce management ensures the right number of agents are available at the right times. It uses historical data to align staffing with customer demand.

Key components of WFM include:

• Forecasting: Predicting future contact volume based on historical trends
• Scheduling: Ensuring adequate coverage during peak and off-peak hours
• Adherence monitoring: Tracking whether agents are sticking to schedules
• Intraday management: Making real-time adjustments when volume spikes unexpectedly

Quality assurance complements WFM by ensuring every customer interaction meets your technical and emotional standards. QA programs typically include:

• Reviewing conversations (call recordings, chat transcripts, email reviews, etc.) for quality and accuracy

• Scoring interactions based on criteria like tone, empathy, and resolution

• Identifying coaching opportunities for individual agents

• Spotting systemic issues that may require better documentation or customer service training

Investing in WFM and QA best practices creates a foundation for consistent, high-quality customer care that supports your customers and your team members.

Collect data to identify customer pain points 

When it comes to customer care, removing obstacles from the customer experience matters just as much as showing kindness and empathy. To locate these roadblocks, you need to make sense of your customer interaction data.

It’s one thing to see a record of conversations at various customer touchpoints, but what larger trends are at play? Customer-centric data analytics software can help by:

• Aggregating interaction data into easy-to-read dashboards

• Highlighting friction points across the customer journey

• Allowing teams to act on issues before they escalate

Say you decide to add customer self-service options. One month later, your analytics dashboard shows a 10 percent increase in support tickets and a decline in customer satisfaction. You send these customers a survey and learn that the new self-service portal is difficult to navigate. You immediately ask your UX team to redo the portal. In this scenario, your analytics tool helped you connect the dots.

Data also enables your team to tailor each customer’s experience accordingly. With the right insights, your team can:

• Understand what motivates individual customers.

• Provide personalized interactions and recommendations.

• Make customers feel seen, heard, and valued.

While gathering consumer data is a good idea, you need to be transparent about the process. Providing a clear, concise explanation of what data you want to capture and how it’ll be leveraged to improve the customer experience will help put skeptical consumers at ease.

Prioritize quality, not just speed 

Though it’s key to prioritize fast reply times and quick resolutions, strong customer relationships aren’t built on just speed and efficiency—they also depend on white-glove treatment.

Make sure your employees know they can spend extra time with a customer who requires additional support. Managers can empower their teams by allowing them to surprise and delight a customer when they think it’s appropriate.

These parameters will look different for every team. Perhaps you permit agents to offer discounts to five customers each month, or you allow them to spend another 15 minutes with a customer who needs extra hand-holding. Let your reps use their judgment to decide when to go above and beyond for a customer.

Teach your team to have a human touch 

Customer care depends on customer empathy. An empathetic agent steps into the buyer’s shoes and responds accordingly. When consumers feel heard, they’re more comfortable explaining their needs, which helps the agent help them.

Empathy in customer service begins by using the right words to establish rapport with the customer.

• “I hear you.” This phrase validates the customer’s concern.
• “Thank you for that feedback.” Negative customer feedback can be hard to hear, but if handled graciously, it can make the customer more open to the agent’s solution.
• “You are 100 percent correct.” Even if a customer is off-base in criticizing the company or its products, an agent should never get defensive. Whether the customer is right or wrong, acknowledging their feelings makes them feel heard.

It takes time to train agents in empathy, but it’s a worthwhile investment that leads to consistently better customer care.

How to measure customer care

You’ve learned what customer care entails, why it’s important, and how to provide it. But how do you know if your efforts are making an impact?

According to Chandler, you should measure the success of a customer care strategy by answering the following questions:

• Why are customers buying your product?

• Why are they staying with you?

• Will they leave you as soon as somebody else pops up?

She recommends using KPIs that involve asking customers for feedback. This input often reveals specific details about support interactions that help you assess customer care.

Customer satisfaction (CSAT) score

As you may have guessed, a customer satisfaction (CSAT) score gauges how happy customers feel with a brand’s product, service, or support experience.

To measure CSAT for support interactions, send surveys that ask customers, “On a scale of 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), how would you rate your overall satisfaction with the service you received?”

You should also include an open-ended question like, “How can we improve the customer support experience?” or “What is the reason for your rating?” You can send CSAT surveys via SMS, email, or chat as soon as a customer support interaction ends.

If multiple agents receive low scores because customers say they feel rushed, your team might not have the resources to show proper care. Audit their calls to get closer to the root cause. It could be a lack of customer service training or product knowledge.

Customer Effort Score (CES)

Convenience and customer care go hand in hand, which is why Customer Effort Score (CES) is so important. This metric measures how easy it is for a customer to get what they need, whether that’s finding your customer support phone number or getting connected to the right agent.

To measure CES, send a survey to customers after support interactions. Ask the question, “On a scale of 1 (very difficult) to 5 (very easy), how easy was it for you to resolve your issue?” Include an open-ended follow-up question such as, “What did you find most difficult about your experience?”

To calculate CES, find the average number based on all your survey responses.

A high CES score indicates that it’s easy for your customers to get what they want and need from your company. If your CES score is on the low side, answers to the open-ended questions will reveal issues with your support experience. Then, you can come up with a solution, whether that’s improving your FAQ page or adding a new support channel.

Net Promoter Score® (NPS)

The ultimate goal of customer care is to foster brand loyalty. Net Promoter Score® (NPS) helps you evaluate your success by measuring the percentage of customers most likely to recommend your business to others. You can send an NPS survey after a single support interaction and send it to customers who’ve contacted you repeatedly.

NPS® asks a single question: “On a scale of 1 (least likely) to 10 (most likely), how likely are you to recommend us to someone based on our customer service?”

• Loyal customers (or “promoters”) will answer with scores of 9 or 10.

• Indifferent customers (known as “passives”) will leave a rating of 7 or 8. This group isn’t included in the NPS® calculation.

• Unhappy customers (called “detractors”) will respond with scores between 0 and 6. 

Your open-ended NPS® survey question can be as simple as, “What is the primary reason for your score?”

Customer care isn’t as easy to measure as the time it takes to close a support ticket. But metrics like NPS®, CSAT, and CES can help you gauge how often and how well your agents move from customer service to customer care.

Frequently asked questions

Conrad Electronic

Conrad Electronic's customer care: the digital pioneer for techies

"Zendesk has given us a complete, one-stop solution that provides a 360-degree view of all our customers. It also allows us to interact with one another across departments, for example between Sales and Support. You can't get much more transparent than that."

Sven Wachtel

Senior Director Customer Care DACH

Read customer story

Excel in customer care with Zendesk

Customer care is about finding what works for the customer, not just the solution they’re seeking, but also the type of interaction and approach that suits them best.

To make each customer feel like one in a million, reps need context for every interaction to provide personalized service. Use a comprehensive support tool like Zendesk to capture customer information and put it at your employees’ fingertips. You’ll soon be on your way to delivering exceptional customer care.

Net Promoter, Net Promoter Score, and NPS are trademarks of NICE Satmetrix, Inc., Bain & Company, Inc., and Fred Reichheld.