That part of an organization that is specifically designed for direct interaction with customers. Includes often customer service, helpdesk, sales or customer relationship management. In this section the primary care of customer contacts (telephone, fax, e-mail, letters, web services) can be realized. In the second line, which is sometimes in the front office and sometimes elsewhere (e.g back office) is posted, it handles issues, requests, transactions, and queries raised in the first line cannot be executed. Sometimes there is no distinction between first and second line, and is only one back office who provides (administrative) support.
See Back Office