Salary, Job Description, How To Become One, and Quiz
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Customer Service Reps
Customer Service Reps interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services. May handle and resolve general complaints. Excludes individuals whose duties are primarily installation, sales, repair, and technical support.
Table of contents
What they do
Customer Service Reps interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services. May handle and resolve general complaints. Excludes individuals whose duties are primarily installation, sales, repair, and technical support.
- Confer with customers by telephone or in-person to provide information about products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or obtain details of complaints.
- Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers’ problems.
- Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken.
- Refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation.
Typical day
On a daily basis, Customer Service Reps determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing. They confer with customers by telephone or in-person to provide information about products or services, take or enter orders, cancel accounts, or obtain details of complaints.
A typical day for a Customer Service Representative will also include:
- Complete contract forms, prepare change of address records, or issue service discontinuance orders, using computers.
- Obtain and examine all relevant information to assess the validity of complaints and to determine possible causes, such as extreme weather conditions that could increase utility bills.
- Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken.
- Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers’ problems.
- Order tests that could determine the causes of product malfunctions.
Other responsibilities
Besides their typical day, Customer Service Reps also review claims adjustments with dealers, examining parts claimed to be defective, and approving or disapproving dealers’ claims. They may also refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation.
On a weekly to monthly basis, Customer Service Reps review insurance policy terms to determine whether a particular loss is covered by insurance. They might also recommend improvements in products, packaging, shipping, service, or billing methods and procedures to prevent future problems.
In addition, they solicit sales of new or additional services or products.
Although specific duties may vary, many of them order tests that could determine the causes of product malfunctions.
To some Customer Service Reps, it is also their responsibility to contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments.
What is the job like
Job satisfaction
Is this job meaningful
61% said they were satisfied with their job and 44% said they found their job meaningful.
Seven years ago, straight out of college, I worked for about a year as a Customer Service Representative for an American telco company. As it was a call center job, I would say that 90% of my shift was spent taking phone calls, with the rest for other ad hoc tasks like coaching and research. … Read More
I worked as a Customer Service Representative for a major online retailer. The moment you log on and go available within seconds, usually immediately, you will receive a notification that you have an email available and either your phone will ring, or the chat window will flash an alert that you have a waiting customer. … Read More
I worked in customer service at Home Depot a couple of years ago when I was 19. Working as a Customer Service is like being a detective, you always need more information about a product. I would say the key difference between a good customer service representative and a great one is their knowledge about … Read More
I worked an 8 hour shift 5 days a week, all remotely. My tasks were to handle the bookings that we received through a booking platform. The job was very well structured so that one day I was taking care of payments, other days to respond to queries from potential customers, sometimes to reply to … Read More
I have 5 years of experience as a Customer Support Representative. In customer support, it is all about resolving the issues. Similar to other industries, in the tech industry, the core part of my job is to respond, acknowledge and resolve the registered or reported issues by the users. In my current company, it is … Read More
Pros
Suitable for people who like to start and carry out projects.
Suitable for people who value relationships between co-workers and customers and want to work in a friendly non-competitive environment.
This career is perfect for people who love to work indoors.
It is easy to get into this career. Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for this career.
Normal working hours (40 hours per week).
Cons
Not suitable for people who like to work with designs.
One of the lowest paying jobs.
How much do they make
Average salary
Average hourly wage
Entry-level Customer Service Reps with little to no experience can expect to make anywhere between $24,120 to $28,760 per year or $12 to $14 per hour.
| Salary by experience | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Highest (Top 10%) | $57,830 | $28 |
| Senior (Top 25%) | $45,400 | $22 |
| Median | $35,830 | $17 |
| Junior (Bottom 25%) | $28,760 | $14 |
| No experience (Bottom 10%) | $24,120 | $12 |
This table shows the top 10 highest paying industries for Customer Service Reps based on their average annual salary.
| Salary by industry | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| Postal Service (Federal Government) | $69620 | $33.47 |
| Natural Gas Distribution | $61800 | $29.71 |
| Other Pipeline Transportation | $55410 | $26.64 |
| Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing | $53790 | $25.86 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | $52020 | $25.01 |
| Other Investment Pools and Funds | $52000 | $25.00 |
| Support Activities for Water Transportation | $51480 | $24.75 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | $49890 | $23.98 |
| Communications Equipment Manufacturing | $49340 | $23.72 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | $49160 | $23.63 |
View more salary by industries here.
Where can they work
Where can Customer Service Reps work? Here is a table showing the top 10 largest employers of Customer Service Reps including the average salary in that industry.
| Employers | Total Employed | Annual Salary | Hourly Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Support Services | 307110 | $32970 | $15.85 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | 165220 | $40760 | $19.60 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities | 156070 | $40070 | $19.27 |
| Insurance Carriers | 152280 | $42520 | $20.44 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 108440 | $41520 | $19.96 |
| Food and Beverage Stores | 99540 | $28950 | $13.92 |
| Employment Services | 95220 | $36000 | $17.31 |
| General Merchandise Stores | 82510 | $29460 | $14.16 |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | 67540 | $37710 | $18.13 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 62590 | $40830 | $19.63 |
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What is the work day like
Working hours
Working schedule
How often do you use email in this job?
Telephone
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Group discussions
How often do you have group discussions in this job?
Public speaking
How often does this job require you to do public speaking?
Level of competition
How much competitive pressure is in this job?
What is the work environment like
Office-style environment
Indoors in an environmentally controlled condition
Warehouse-style environment
Indoors in a non-controlled environmental condition such as a warehouse
Outdoors
Outdoors exposed to all weather conditions
Outdoors – Under Cover
Outdoors but under cover (e.g. structure with roof but no walls)
How to become one
Difficulty to become one
Required level of education
What level of education do you need to perform the job?
Relevant majors
Receptionist
Customer Service Support/Call Center/Teleservice Operation
Relevant work experience
How much related work experience do you need to get hired for the job?
On The Job Training
How much on the job training do you need to perform the job?
Should you become one
Best personality type for this career
People with this personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Builder personality type likes practical and hands-on work. They prefer working with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
People with The Thinker personality likes to work with ideas that require an extensive amount of thinking. They prefer work that requires them to solve problems mentally.
People with The Artist personality likes to work with designs and patterns. They prefer activities that require self-expression and prefer work that can be done without following a clear set of rules.
People with The Helper personality type likes to work with people and in teams. They prefer work that allows them to build relationships with others.
People with The Leader personality likes to start and work on projects. They also like leading people and making many decisions.
People with The Organizer personality type likes to follow set procedures and routines. They prefer working with data and details more than with ideas.
You can read more about these career personality types here.
People who are suitable for this job tend to like starting up and carrying out projects. They like leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk-taking and often deal with business.
They also like working with, communicating with, and teaching people. They like helping or providing service to others.
Take this quiz to see if this is the right career for you.
Work Values
Which values are the most important to a person’s satisfaction for this job?
You are someone who is results oriented. You prefer work that allows you to utilize your skills and abilities while at the same time giving you a sense of accomplishment.
You are someone who values job security, steady employment, and good working conditions. You also prefer work that keeps you busy all the time with something different to do every day.
You are someone who values job advancement and leadership roles. You prefer work that receives recognition for the work you do and jobs that are looked up to by others in the company and your community.
You are someone who likes to provide a service to others. You prefer a work environment where you can work with your co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.
You are someone who values a company that stands behind their employees. You prefer a work environment where everyone is treated fairly and is being supported by the company.
You are someone who likes to work on your own and make your own decisions. You prefer work that requires little supervision and are allowed to try out your own ideas.
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