All About Customer Service Representatives
Customer Service Representative Job Description Interact with customers to provide information in response to inquiries about products and services and to handle and resolve complaints.
List of Customer Service Representative Job Duties
- Recommend improvements in products, packaging, shipping, service, or billing methods and procedures to prevent future problems.
- Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers’ problems.
- Compare disputed merchandise with original requisitions and information from invoices and prepare invoices for returned goods.
- Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken.
- Review insurance policy terms to determine whether a particular loss is covered by insurance.
- Obtain and examine all relevant information to assess validity of complaints and to determine possible causes, such as extreme weather conditions that could increase utility bills.
What Every Customer Service Representative Should Know
These are the skills Customer Service Representatives say are the most useful in their careers:
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Other Customer Service Representative Job Titles
- Trouble Clerk
- Gas Distribution and Emergency Clerk
- Client Support Professional
- Account Adjuster
- Client Service Representative
Are There Job Opportunities for Customer Service Representatives?
There were about 2,784,500 jobs for Customer Service Representative in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.9% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 136,300 new jobs for Customer Service Representative by 2026. Due to new job openings and attrition, there will be an average of 373,500 job openings in this field each year.
The states with the most job growth for Customer Service Representative are Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Minnesota, or Massachusetts. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Customer Service Representative Salary
Customer Service Representatives make between $22,140 and $55,310 a year.
Customer Service Representatives who work in District of Columbia, Massachusetts, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
Below is a list of the median annual salaries for Customer Service Representatives in different U.S. states.
| State | Annual Mean Salary |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $33,580 |
| Alaska | $39,300 |
| Arizona | $34,570 |
| Arkansas | $32,350 |
| California | $41,850 |
| Colorado | $37,390 |
| Connecticut | $41,160 |
| Delaware | $38,060 |
| District of Columbia | $46,880 |
| Florida | $33,730 |
| Georgia | $35,130 |
| Hawaii | $38,670 |
| Idaho | $32,390 |
| Illinois | $37,840 |
| Indiana | $36,200 |
| Iowa | $37,400 |
| Kansas | $35,330 |
| Kentucky | $32,230 |
| Louisiana | $32,440 |
| Maine | $34,950 |
| Maryland | $37,720 |
| Massachusetts | $43,620 |
| Michigan | $36,650 |
| Minnesota | $39,690 |
| Mississippi | $28,210 |
| Missouri | $35,020 |
| Montana | $34,910 |
| Nebraska | $35,730 |
| Nevada | $33,690 |
| New Hampshire | $38,930 |
| New Jersey | $40,330 |
| New Mexico | $31,380 |
| New York | $40,830 |
| North Carolina | $34,690 |
| North Dakota | $37,910 |
| Ohio | $35,980 |
| Oklahoma | $32,790 |
| Oregon | $37,570 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,000 |
| Rhode Island | $38,970 |
| South Carolina | $32,320 |
| South Dakota | $31,150 |
| Tennessee | $34,420 |
| Texas | $33,770 |
| Utah | $33,790 |
| Vermont | $37,760 |
| Virginia | $35,030 |
| Washington | $40,820 |
| West Virginia | $31,730 |
| Wisconsin | $37,850 |
| Wyoming | $36,400 |
What Tools do Customer Service Representatives Use?
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Customer Service Representatives:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Dynamics
- IBM Notes
- Microsoft Publisher
- Google Docs
- FileMaker Pro
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Intuit QuickBooks
How to Become a Customer Service Representative
Individuals working as a Customer Service Representative have obtained the following education levels:
What work experience do I need to become a Customer Service Representative?
Where do Customer Service Representatives Work?
Below are examples of industries where Customer Service Representatives work:
Related Careers
Those interested in being a Customer Service Representative may also be interested in:
Career changers with experience as a Customer Service Representative sometimes find work in one of the following fields:
References:
Image Credit: Jace Armstrong via public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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