47 Customer Support Terms You Need to Know If You Want to Work in the Industry

Breaking into the world of customer support? Whether you're aiming to become a customer experience specialist or wondering "who is a customer support executive?", understanding key industry terms is a must. A strong grasp of customer support terms not only helps you navigate daily interactions but also sets you apart in interviews and on the job. In this guide, we’re breaking down 50 essential terms that every aspiring support professional should know. Whether you're exploring why a customer support job is a great career choice or want to level up your customer experience management skills, this glossary has got you covered!

Let’s break them down.

The Top 47 Customer Support Industry Terms You Need to Know

1. Agent

The frontline hero of customer support, an agent is the person who interacts directly with customers to resolve their issues.

2. Ticket (or “Case,” “Task,” “Issue,” etc.)

A customer’s issue or request logged into the support system. Think of it as the digital paperwork that keeps track of problems until they’re solved.

3. SLA (Service Level Agreement)

Usually a contractual agreement with a client or an internal policy that serves as an enforceable promise to your customers about how quickly issues will be resolved. It’s like saying, “We’ve got your back”—but with a deadline.

4. First Response Time (FRT)

How quickly a customer hears back after reaching out. Speed matters here!

5. Resolution Time

The time it takes to fully resolve a customer’s issue—because getting it done fast is key to keeping them happy.

6. Escalation

When an issue is too complex for the first agent and needs to be passed up the chain. No shame—sometimes you need a pro. Oftentimes companies create an “escalation path” which outlines which tickets get escalated to which team members to handle in order to increase efficiency and reduce time spent on ticket resolution.

7. Knowledge Base (KB)

A self-serve library of articles, FAQs, and guides customers (and agents!) can use to solve problems without waiting. This can be internal, such as a set of tools or knowledge for company employees to use in complex situations, or externally facing, like end-user-ready documentation with step-by-step instructions for customers to solve their own problems. 

8. Deflection

When customers solve their own issues using self-service tools like a knowledge base or chatbot—leaving agents free to tackle tougher problems.

9. CSAT (Customer Satisfaction Score)

A metric that measures how happy customers are with your support. It’s a smiley face, but with data. This is one of the most important support-specific metrics for businesses. For example, after an end-user has been using a website, mobile app, or support chat for awhile or recently had a support issue resolved, they’ll usually get a question asking "How was your support today?" or "How did you like using X today?" This is a survey measuring CSAT, and typically provide between 2 response options for the user to choose (i.e. good or bad, happy face vs sad face, etc.) but can be up to 5 options (i.e.. very bad, bad, neutral, good, very good) and measures the % of good responses vs total responses

10. NPS (Net Promoter Score)

Arguably the most important metric for brands and products. Measures how likely a customer is to recommend your company. It’s the ultimate “Would you tell your friends about us?” question, usually with an option to select a number from 1-10. 

• 9s and 10s are considered "brand champions"

• 7s and 8s are considered "neutrals" 

• 6s and lower are considered "unhappy customers". 

This metric can help you identify those who are extremely happy with the brand and those who could use improvement, and is great for targeted engagement as well as general feedback on your product, website, service, etc.

11. First Contact Resolution Rate (FCR - also known as a “One-Touch” Ticket)

An “FCR” is a ticket that was resolved in one customer-agent interaction - e.g. a customer sends a chat message with a question, and an agent responds with the right answer the first time. The FCR rate measures how often customer issues get resolved in a single interaction. The higher, the better—nobody likes back-and-forth. For more complex systems, similar interaction-focused data points can be measured, such as 2 (or more) touch tickets.

12. Churn

When customers stop using your product or service. Good support can help keep this number low, while bad support can be a driving factor for customer churn. A study by Zendesk showed that a whopping 73% of customers will switch to a competitor after multiple bad experiences.

13. Support tiers/levels

Indicates complexity level of a customer support issue. For example, a customer asking for help with a password reset may or to ask about their order status may be considered a “level 1” or “tier 1” question, while a more complicated issue may be considered “Level 2” or higher. Companies often have unique definitions and labels for their support tiers.

14. Queue

The line of customer support tickets waiting to be addressed. Also can be a customer-centric term, e.g. waiting to connect with an agent over phone or chat (e.g. “There are 2 people in the queue before you”). 

15. Channel

A line of communication between your customers and your support team. Think emails, chats, phone calls, even social media messages are considered “channels.

16. Omnichannel Support

Helping customers on all channels seamlessly—from email to social media to live chat. Wherever they are, you’re there too.

17. CX (Customer Experience)

The overall impression customers have of your company. Great support can turn a “meh” experience into a memorable one.

18. EX (Employee Experience)

Happy agents = happy customers. EX focuses on making the work environment awesome for support teams.

19. AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Your tech sidekick for automating repetitive tasks, suggesting solutions, and even chatting with customers or helping resolve complex issues.

20. Bot

An AI-powered helper that handles simple customer inquiries (like “What’s my order status?”) so agents can focus on the hard stuff.

21. Macros

Pre-written responses that agents can use to save time. Think of them as email templates for customer support.

22. CRM (Customer Relationship Management)

Software that keeps track of customer details, conversations, and history—because knowing your customer is half the battle.

23. Help Desk

The central hub where customer issues are managed, tracked, and resolved. It’s the heart of support operations.

24. IVR (Interactive Voice Response)

That automated phone system customers interact with before talking to an agent. Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay.

25. Routing

Directing customer issues to the right person or team. Smart routing saves time and frustration.

26. Triage

Sorting incoming tickets based on urgency and importance. Think of it as a support team’s emergency room.

27. Zendesk

A popular support software platform. If you’re in the industry, you’ll hear this name a lot.

28. Freshdesk

Another well-known support software tool. Your future workplace might just use it.

29. Agent Onboarding

The structured process of training and integrating new customer support agents into a company’s systems, tools, and workflows. This includes everything from product knowledge and support protocols to communication guidelines and company culture. A strong onboarding process sets agents up for success and ensures they’re ready to provide top-notch support from day one.

30. New Customer Onboarding

Helping new customers learn the ropes of your product or service. First impressions matter!

31. Upselling

Encouraging customers to purchase a higher-tier product or add-on. Support often plays a role in making this happen naturally.

32. Cross-Selling

Suggesting related products to customers. It’s the classic, “Would you like fries with that?”

33. Satisfaction Survey

A quick follow-up to measure how customers felt about their support experience. Often used to measure customer satisfaction score (CSAT).

34. Soft Skills

Communication, empathy, and patience—the unsung heroes of great customer support.

35. Active Listening

Paying close attention to what the customer says (and doesn’t say) to understand their needs.

36. Call Center

A dedicated team handling customer support over the phone. It’s a classic for a reason.

37. Self-Service

Tools that let customers solve their own problems, like FAQs or knowledge bases. It’s a win-win.

38. Agent Assist

AI tools that provide real-time support to agents during calls or chats. Since this is such a new technology, be aware that different tools have different names for this. For example, "Agent Copilot" is the agent assist name for Zendesk.

39. BPO (Business Process Outsourcing)

When companies hire external teams to handle customer support or other business processes (software engineering, for example). When businesses have low volume or are looking for cost-saving measures, they outsource these teams as opposed to staffing their own in-house. Outsourced support teams require rigorous onboarding materials and training to avoid the risk of providing subpar services.

40. Proactive Support

Fixing issues before customers even know they have them. Talk about being a step ahead. This approach often involves agents using monitoring software to track the users of your product or service, which can be intrusive. But, it does help ensure your customers have a good experience with you, so there can be pros and cons.

41. Reactive Support

Helping customers after they reach out. The bread and butter of traditional support. There are pros and cons to this approach as well. While this approach is non-intrusive to your customers, it relies on your customer to be interested enough in your product to reach out for assistance, which they often may not be. Many customers (especially those with little investment in your product or service, like those on a free trial) will quit at the first hurdle they run into.

42. Customer Journey

The full experience customers have with your brand, from first discovery to ongoing support.

43. Net Resolution Rate

The percentage of issues resolved compared to issues received. It’s a metric that says, “Are we keeping up?”

44. Backlog

Unresolved tickets piling up. Nobody wants this, but it happens.

45. QA (Quality Assurance)

Ensuring support interactions meet a certain standard. Because quality counts.

46. Workforce Management (WFM)

Tools and strategies to ensure the right number of agents are available at the right times.

47. Attrition

When agents leave the company. High turnover can be a sign something needs fixing in your support strategy.

Conclusion

Mastering these customer support terms is a game-changer for anyone looking to break into the industry. From frontline agents to customer experience specialists, understanding these key concepts will help you excel in providing top-tier support. If you’ve ever asked "why a customer support role?", the answer lies in its impact—support teams shape the customer experience and drive business success. Whether you're starting as an agent or eyeing a leadership role like customer support executive, this field offers growth, challenge, and the chance to make a real difference.

Ready to dive in? Keep learning, keep improving, and keep putting the customer first!

Are there any we missed? Let us know in the comments or send us an email to info@customersupportplaybook.com.