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Customer service encounters were reviewed by Clay Voorhees and many of his colleagues, where they were keen to define the area in more detail (Voorhees et al., 2016). Voorhees suggested that the difference between service encounter and service experience was about the period of time the service lasted. An ongoing or continuous service was an experience, whereas a specific service was an encounter. The encounters were divided into three phases:

1 Pre-core service encounter – the time before the main service where the customer engages with the firm and seeks information such as online reviews.

2 Core service encounter – the time at which the primary service is provided.

3 Post-core service encounter – the time after the service has been received where the consumer reflects, assesses the service and may complete online feedback.

This definition is especially helpful for non-profit firms or government bodies, where the aim is to gain information, submit forms or register details. The difference is the idea of the service encounter rather than a sale.

However, this approach is similar to the customer journey described by Lemon and Verhoef: there are three stages – before, during and after. Both are relatively simplistic and linear models, although they work and are easy to apply, so are useful places to start.