A service is an intangible act or use for which a consumer, a company or a government are willing to pay. This could include work done by barbers, doctors, lawyers, mechanics, banks, insurance companies, and more. Every public service offered by the government is for its citizens, such as the police force, the armed forces, ambulances, paramedics, and firefighters. In addition, health care (in most advanced economies) is a service, as is public broadcasting, urban planning and waste management.
The service sector, also known as the tertiary sector, is the third level of the three-sector economy.