In theory, this encompasses all activities involving contact with existing or potential clients—focused on sales, negotiation, product or service presentations, proposal drafting, and closing deals—including:
Identifying client needs
Presenting solutions and benefits.
Clarifying commercial questions.
Preparing quotes and proposals.
Negotiating prices, timelines, and terms.
Managing the sales process and post-sales follow-up.
In practice, however, what I have observed differs significantly from this definition.
"Customer service" is often provided by individuals who are soft-spoken and highly polite in conversation, yet absolutely abysmal when it comes to following up on matters or adhering to agreed-upon deadlines.
Recently, on behalf of a client, I began addressing an important issue with one of the country’s major electricity power trading companies. There were numerous exchanges (via WhatsApp), most of which led nowhere—accompanied by a steady stream of excuses to justify the systematic failure to respond to the points raised.
The conclusion is that customer service in Brazil is extremely expensive—simply because it requires an excessive number of interactions for matters that could be handled and resolved far more efficiently, demanding less of everyone's time.
When will we finally "wake up" to this challenge?