Jobs in customer service are some of the most flexible jobs on the market; there are part-time, full-time, or even home-based positions. In addition, many customer-service skills are transferable. In other words, skills such as clear communications and diplomacy can be utilized for a variety of jobs. Nonetheless, increasing market competition is now requiring more customer service representatives to gain industry-specific training before applying to entry-level customer service jobs.
Customer service representatives communicate with customers through personal meetings, telephone calls, and e-mail. Representatives often follow special protocol and etiquette learned on the job for each mode of communication. In addition, they follow company-administered scripts and guidelines for various customer service situations.
Perhaps the most common of these situations is customer complaints. To handle complaints, representatives tread carefully in finding a solution to the problem. Usually, they first perform research to verify the problem’s source and authenticity. They then get back in touch with the customer and try to reach a settlement, such as a discount, refund, or gift certificate. In these often-tense situations, customer service representatives depend on their training and patience to help them handle a customer’s disappointment with their company. They use all their energies and resources to solve a problem in order to retain the customer.
The majority of customer service jobs are in sales. These jobs take place at car dealerships, real-estate firms, retail stores, and publications. Unlike other customer-service jobs, they require representatives to do sales pitches. A sales pitch emphasizes a product’s qualities and why customers should spend money on it. Nonetheless, sales jobs deal with as many customer complaints and inquiries as do other customer service jobs.
Sales representative jobs are also found at wholesale companies and manufacturers that sell products or services to other companies. These companies strive to become companies’ vendors or suppliers. For instance, a sales representative for a manufacturing company may try to sell a new concrete mixer to a construction company. They may speak with the company on the phone or meet a company representative in person. It may take a period of several months with numerous negotiation sessions until they can achieve a sale for their product.
Customer service jobs prevail in practically every business that sells products or services. When many people imagine a customer service job, they picture a salesperson. Though the majority of customer service jobs are in sales, there are countless industries that operate in customer service even though it may not be readily apparent. For instance, insurance companies depend on insurance customer service jobs for their survival. The only difference with these insurance jobs is that they may turn away clients whose financial risks are too great for the firm to insure. On the other hand, retail or wholesale sales do not have any such standards for buyers, so long as the buyer purchases the product.
When interacting with customers, insurance representatives first present clients with paperwork and guide them through the signing of coverage programs. They may mediate between the agent and the client when the client tries to contact the agent with questions. They answer clients’ questions on coverage plans for various types of insurance. Like all customer service representatives, they are fully knowledgeable about their company’s products and services. Due to this knowledge, they can help clients choose the product most suitable for them. If these representatives do their job well, clients come away with a deeper understanding of their insurance coverage and will return to that company for future insurance needs.
Not so long ago, customer-service jobs required little formal education; only a high school diploma. Today, however, more jobs are requiring representatives to have at least associate’s degrees in the job’s relevant industry. In part, this development is due to the increase of newer technological products that require more in-depth knowledge and training. Sales representatives, especially, are required to be experts on their manufacturing products in order to do convincing sales pitches.
While those who want to enter customer service careers proceed through college, they take courses in business, economics, and foreign languages. They benefit from internships at companies related to the industry they want to enter. They ensure that they receive thorough training in computer applications, especially Microsoft Office and data-entry software. In addition, insurance customer service representatives earn insurance licenses, such as a Property and Casualty Insurance License. Furthermore, other customer service representatives wanting supplementary training can complete widespread certification programs.
Most customer service representatives are paid by the hour. These hourly wages range from about $10 per hour at telephone call centers, to about $15 per hour for insurance providers. A small number of representatives earn over $20 per hour. Even if representatives do not have high-earning wages, they often enjoy flexible schedules.
Many customer-service jobs are entry-level jobs. They provide great opportunities for job advancement since they give representatives huge exposure to the company. When higher-level jobs open up in the company, it is customer representatives who are often offered these positions because they already have considerable on-the-job training. Many representatives advance to customer-service managers or sales agents.
Customer service representatives should find no lack of employment throughout the next decade. Most companies place huge importance on customer-service and hire many people to fill round-the-clock customer service operations. Again, job requirements are gradually becoming stricter, demanding greater education and hands-on training for new representatives.
