Customer Experience vs Customer Service

Customer service and customer experience are often referenced together, but they’re not the same thing. Customer service is what you do. Customer experience is how it feels to interact with you. In this article, we look at why the human touch matters more than ever.

In a world where AI can write your emails, generate proposals, and automate your entire sales journey, the difference between customer service and experience has never mattered more.

Customers are cautious. They’re slowing down before they buy and paying attention to what you’re posting, selling, and offering. Why? Because they’re trying to figure out if your business is real, if there’s a human behind it, and if they can trust you.

From the very first interaction on your website, emails, sales conversations, or social media feed, people are subconsciously judging whether they feel safe, heard, and understood, and if they don’t, they quietly walk away.

A Weekend Away That Proves the Point

I recently shared a story that perfectly captures the difference between service and experience.

While away in Yorkshire for the weekend, we visited a Michelin-recommended restaurant. You know, the kind of place you expect to feel special, relaxed, and looked after.

Instead, the evening became stressful. I told the waitress I couldn’t have chillies in my meal. Rather than listening and reassuring, the waitress launched straight into a rigid allergy script. Policies. Procedures. Rules.

There was no flexibility, curiosity, or sense of comfort.

Feeling pressured and unheard, I ended up ordering food I wasn’t happy with. What should have been a treat became an anxious, uncomfortable experience because the human connection was missing.

The next day, the contrast couldn’t have been clearer!

We stopped at a tiny café in Filey run by a husband-and-wife team, Malcolm and Margaret.

Here, we had no scripts, performance, or prestige. Instead, we got homemade food, genuine conversation, warm listening, and thoughtful engagement. The experience was calm, personal, and welcoming.

Guess which one left a positive lasting impression?

What This Means for Your Business (Especially in the Age of AI)

Yes, AI can help you speed things up, scale, and even position your products and services, but it can’t replace emotional intelligence, human storytelling, and trust. Your potential customers are asking you to listen, support, and engage with them to build a relationship, so ask yourself if you’re delivering the right kind of experience.

3 Ways to Excel at Customer Experience in Your Business

Listen

Processes are helpful in business, but they should never override human awareness. As in my experience at the Michelin-recommended restaurant, when someone raises a concern, asks a question, or hesitates, slow down. Respond to them without a script or template. Feeling heard is more important than getting the right answer.

And honestly, I would have preferred the conversation to have been, ‘we’ll find a suitable starter for you’, rather than a checklist of what I couldn’t have!

Here are a few handy questions you could ask:

• “Tell me a bit more?”
• “What would make this feel easier for you?”
• “What are you most concerned about right now?”
• And sense check, “Has that helped with your concerns?”

Make People Feel Safe

Pressure kills trust. How many times have you felt icky when a salesperson tries the hard sell on you?  When customers feel rushed, boxed in, or funnelled through a rigid process, alarm bells start ringing, especially when AI-generated messaging is everywhere.

Be reassuring and persuade them with your presence and UHP® (Unique Human Proposition). People buy more readily when they feel comfortable, not cornered.

Let Your UHP Shine

Human brands build loyalty. Using warm language and real conversations builds trust. Remembering small details and making memorable follow-ups enhance the customer experience. These are the things people remember long after price and features fade.

Malcolm and Margaret didn’t need a marketing strategy. They created a connection through their Unique Human Proposition®, which is a much better strategy. And it works!

Remember:

Customer service is transactional.
Customer experience is personal.

The world is a noisy, AI-heavy place, but the businesses that will thrive are the ones that make people feel calm, understood, and valued from the first interaction.

When trust is missing, even the fanciest experience in the world can fall flat.

“Jules ‘The Dragon Slayer’ White is a skilled and passionate sales professional with a unique approach that combines a human touch with a strategic mindset. I’ve witnessed and enjoyed her coaching style that inspired our team to achieve excellent results. Her drive for continuous improvement and high standards of customer service make her an asset to any organisation.” Antoine Metivier – Consultant Director of Online Partnerships – Fintech

Want to find out more? Schedule a virtual cuppa with me, and we can have a chat about my coaching services.

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