アフターサービス

1958 is an early printed point for アフターサービス: Seisenban Nihon Kokugo Daijiten cites Yoshiro Hoshino's Gijutsu Kakushin with アフター・サービス. The form combines English after and service inside Japanese, and Digital Daijisen marks it as 和製英語. The natural business English form is after-sales service, which Collins defines as help or information given after a customer buys a product. In postwar consumer markets, アフターサービス fit appliances, cameras, cars, and office machines. Manufacturers and retailers used it for warranty repair, maintenance, parts, installation, user instruction, and complaint handling. Nipponica lists repair, replacement, inspection visits, installation, and supply of parts as typical contents. Related Japanese terms include 保証, 修理, カスタマーサービス, and アフターケア. Today アフターサービス can refer to a written warranty, a repair counter, phone support, or a seller's post-purchase policy. Berlitz Japan noted this difference in a 2007 business-English note. English after service sounds like service after some event, not product support; after-sales service, customer support, or warranty service is clearer. この店はアフターサービスが良い means the store handles post-purchase problems well.