Customer Service Job Descriptions & Salaries

As a customer service representative, you will handle all sorts of issues and concerns put forward by customers. You are the first point of contact for any communication regarding the company's products and services. You must be well informed about company products and policies and well equipped to respond to customer needs.

Function

• The main function of a customer service representative is to communicate with customers and respond to the customer's concerns, complaints and requests. You must provide relevant information regarding your company's products and services. Your duties will encompass managing customer accounts, performing customer verifications, recording customer transactions and interactions and processing orders and requests, forwarding any follow-ups to the relevant department. Your manager will expect you to provide solutions and make recommendations to customers and elevate issues beyond your scope to your unit's lead person.

Salary

• Customer service representatives earn hourly wages between $9 and $23, with total annual pay averaging $19,000 to $40,000, as of May 2009--according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. States paying the highest customer service wages are Connecticut, California, Delaware and Massachusetts. Mean hourly wage for these states is $18. The highest-paying industries are the U.S. Postal Service and pipeline transportation of natural gas industries, each with a mean hourly wage of $28 and $25, respectively. Pay rates also depend on educational qualifications and previous work experience in this field.

Characteristics

• In your role as customer service representative, expect to have continuous interaction with customers--some will be pleasant, others will be irritable, even obnoxious. Therefore, a calm and pleasant demeanor is essential, regardless of the customer's behavior. Your excellent interpersonal skills and quick problem-solving aptitude will drive your success ratio. Effective oral and written communication skills will also aid your effectiveness as you must communicate through telephone, email and face-to-face encounters. Independent decision-making abilities are also valuable as the customers expect quick solutions to their problems.

Education and Experience

• In the past, a high school diploma was the basic qualification required to apply for a customer service representative position. In 2010, companies are allocating more authority and adding technical responsibilities, and for this reason a bachelor's degree is fast becoming a prerequisite. Courses in English, computer applications and business are highly desirable in this field. You can expect your new employer to provide induction and on-the-job training. Induction can last for several weeks, and on-the-job training is ongoing. Industry-related experience or previous customer service experience is highly valued, with the general requirement being two to three years.

Job Outlook

• Employment of customer service representatives will grow by approximately 18 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Department of Labor. The growing importance of maintaining and improving customer relationships will keep the demand for this occupation steady. With telephone banking becoming popular, the need for customer support with Internet banking is on the rise. Office automation is not likely to reduce job opportunities for the customer service representative position because customers require personalized services.