Businesses provide consumers client services including entertainment and travel opportunities. These services are offered by numerous industries, therefore there are numerous work opportunities in this field. Learning more about the many job possibilities and types that are accessible might help professionals who are interested in a career in customer service. In this article, we define consumer products, describe different consumer services, and compare the two concepts.
Who Provides Consumer Services?
Consumer services or customer services are categories of services that businesses offer to consumers, other enterprises and households. The primary goal of customer service is to fulfill a customer’s wants and expectations. This typically entails a company and its employees offering consumers services that they might require another individual to perform because it is outside of their scope of expertise. Customer services professionals may accept remuneration from clients directly or indirectly, in exchange for their advice or labour.
13 Types of Customer Services
This is a list of 13 types of customer services and related job options:
1. Education
Education is a service that provides teaching and learning to students of all ages and academic levels. A teacher can educate a class using a variety of techniques, including seminars, storytelling and experimentation. Education may help students by fostering their talent, facilitating acquisition of knowledge, honing their critical thinking abilities and enhancing their communication skills. Here are some positions to consider when you are looking for a job in education:
- Elementary school teacher
- High school teacher
- College professor
- Adjunct professor
2. Legal
Legal services include helping individuals with issues relating to the law. Usually, this includes assisting individuals in court who require assistance. This can entail defending a person in court under the supervision of a judge or serving as an advocate when speaking with police about a legal issue. Here are a few legal service professions to consider for potential job openings in the future:
- Lawyer
- Paralegal
- Detective
- Judge
- Police officer
- Public defender
3. Medical
Any service pertaining to healthcare is a medical service. Diagnosis and treatment, illness prevention, rehabilitation and health promotion are four major types of healthcare services. Patients can receive medical care from a range of doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers. If you are looking for a job in the medical field, these are some occupations to consider:
- Surgeon
- Emergency medical technician (EMT)
- Physician
- Psychiatrist
- Paediatrician
- Nurse
4. Restaurant
Restaurants provide a service for consumers because individuals are paying for additional value besides food, such as excellent customer service and an elegant atmosphere and decor. When attending a reservation at a restaurant, customers are typically looking for an inviting dining experience rather than focusing solely on the quality of the food. Here are some positions to consider when looking for a career in a restaurant:
- Sous chef
- Fine dining server
- Chef de parte
- Executive chef
- Sommelier
5. Travel
Travel services support the tourism sector by giving customers access to a variety of scheduling and reservation resources. The majority of service positions in the travel sector help individuals plan vacations, freeing clients from typical scheduling and price-tracking obligations. Booking traveler accommodations and lodging may fall under this category, along with planning entertainment events for vacationers, organising auto rentals and offering customer support. While searching for a job in the travel sector, you can consider the following careers:
- Flight attendant
- Travel agent
- Guest services representative
- Interpreter
- Reservation agent
- Concierge
6. Insurance
Customers of insurance services receive a range of safeguard measures against unforeseen occurrences that can result in monetary loss. Automobile, healthcare, family, pet and liability insurance are a few examples of insurance services. While seeking a position in the insurance industry, consider the following careers:
- Underwriter
- Insurance agent
- Claims adjuster
- Regulator
- Customer service executive
7. Media
Media organisations provide a service that informs the public about current events or they may provide channels for entertainment and recreation. This may include offering community residents local news updates, viewings of TV productions or various types of entertainment programmes. With mass communication technology, the media usually excels at delivering information to large groups of people within a short duration of time. Here are some media careers to consider while looking for a career in entertainment or mass communications:
- News anchor
- Actor
- Reporter
- Producer
- Photographer/videographer
- Journalist
8. Visual design
With visual design or user experience (UX) design tools, professionals can create visually appealing aesthetics. This allows users to appreciate art in a variety of ways, including website design, architecture or commercial art. Below are some careers to consider while searching for a job in visual design:
- UX designer
- Artist
- Graphic designer
- Marketing specialist
- User interface (UI) designer
9. Entertainment
Entertainment services include any type of hospitality amenity for the purpose of entertainment. This includes concerts, theatre plays, food and drink, or leisure travel. The entertainment industry provides a variety of jobs for experienced and inexperienced professionals. Here are some jobs to consider when looking for employment:
- Singer/songwriter
- Dancer
- Stagehand
- Production coordinator
- Security guard
10. Technology
Information technology (IT) services typically include providing resources involving technology. IT specialists develop, design, support and maintain a variety of web applications and computer networks. This may include helping install software programs or troubleshooting computer systems. Here are some technology service jobs to consider while looking for a career in IT:
- Software developer
- Technology service manager
- Software engineer
- IT consultant
- Network engineer
11. Maintenance
A maintenance service typically includes providing the services of professionals for building repairs, replacements and other routine maintenance tasks. Maintenance jobs are in a variety of industries, including medical care, retail, food, education and housing. Maintenance services relate to assisting a person or organisation with essential maintenance tasks for which they may not have the required expertise. Here are a few maintenance service jobs to consider:
- Plumber
- HVAC technician
- Electrician
- Painter
- Janitor
- Cleaner
- Mechanic
12. Transportation
There are a variety of transportation services available, including ride-booking and taxis, trains, airlines and public transit systems. Consumers who use transportation services have the option of travelling without owning or operating a vehicle. This service makes it possible for people to travel conveniently and affordably to their destinations. To assist in offering a service to customers seeking convenient travel, consider the following transportation jobs:
- Bus driver
- Train conductor
- Pilot
- Taxi driver
- Limo driver
13. Finance
A financial service aids in the facilitation of transactions, growth of savings and refinement of investment decisions for both individuals and businesses. Financial services can range from simple banking and loan applications to more complex operations, like purchasing property or securing assets. With financial support, experts offer services to help people live within their means while also assisting them with long-term savings and expensive purchases. When searching for employment in the finance sector, you can consider the following professions:
- Bank teller
- Real estate agent
- Loan officer
- Accountant
- Investment banker
What Are Consumer Goods?
Consumer goods are items that a typical consumer purchases for consumption. Consumer products or final goods are the final product of manufacturing and production. Examples of consumer goods include clothes, food and appliances. Consumer goods are of three types, they are:
- Durable goods: Consumer products that last for more than three years and are for continuous use over time are durable goods.
- Non-durable goods: Non-durable goods such as canned food and beverages or liquid soap are for one-time use and are supposed to be consumed within three years.
- Service products: Service products are intangible consumer products like manicures and vehicle repairs.
Consumer Goods Vs Consumer Services
Consumer goods and services vary from each other in many ways, including:
Tangibility
Consumer goods are tangible. You can see and touch them, and evaluate their quality and value as they consist of tangible material. Services may not be so, and their value may be more difficult to evaluate or estimate.
Durability
Services are consumable, while all goods may not fall under that category. Some services cannot be retained for future use, while some can. There is simultaneous production and consumption associated with most services. In contrast, you can store products for consumption at a later point in time. Each product’s functional shelf-life may be different. Food and drink, for example, usually have a shorter lifespan than three years. Electronics and furnishings are examples of items that last longer than three years.
Replaceability
To avoid incurring costs associated with fixing or replacing a service, it is vital that businesses offer the finest services possible. This involves minimising mistakes and addressing customer complaints. These characteristics distinguish services from products. For products, the replaceability factor manifests when a consumer picks a similar offering from a competitor. Businesses that provide either can monitor customer behaviour to understand how replaceable their offerings are.