Customer service and clienteling both aim to establish lasting customer relationships—but while clienteling uses customer profiles, customer service typically relies only on the real-time information obtained during a given encounter, requiring the shopper to inform the customer service rep of their needs and situation. Anticipating customer needs before they make requests is essential to retail clienteling; doing this well supports an enhanced customer experience. For instance, a brand may preemptively ask you if you need a refill of an item right before you run out or they may provide you with information about product updates or sales before that information is public.