Post Job

Explore Jobs

Find Specific Jobs

Explore Careers

Explore Professions

Best Companies

Explore Companies

Overview

JobsSalaryResumeSkillsWhat They DoEducationCertificationsDemographicsJob DescriptionHow To HireBest CompaniesBest StatesBest CitiesRemote JobsJob OutlookCompareFAQsPart Time JobsEntry Level JobsFull Time JobsWork From Home JobsLocationsInterview QuestionsCover Letter

What is a customer service representative and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
Quoted Expert
Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA
introduction image

A customer service representative interacts with customers on behalf of a company or organization. They handle customer inquiries, complaints, and orders through phone, email, social media, and chat. Customer service representatives are responsible for providing information, resolving issues, and maintaining positive relationships with customers. To be successful in this role, customer service representatives need excellent communication skills and problem-solving abilities. They may work in a variety of industries including retail, healthcare, telecommunications, and finance.

What general advice would you give to a Customer Service Representative?

Sally Hiott B.S. MBA, DBA

Assistant Professor of Marketing, Charleston Southern University

Show employers how you would not only fill an open position regarding the work at hand, but show them how you would be an asset to their team. We are in very team driven work environments currently, and hiring managers want to know what you can bring to the table. Filling a void is great for the workload, but enhancing a team culture makes them not want to work without you!
ScoreCustomer Service RepresentativeUS Average
Salary
2.5

Avg. Salary $32,260

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
5.9

Growth Rate -4%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
9.3
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.69%

Asian 6.31%

Black or African American 11.55%

Hispanic or Latino 21.20%

Unknown 5.25%

White 55.01%

Gender

female 69.50%

male 30.50%

Age - 39
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39
Stress Level
5.9

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
6.6

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.5

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a Customer Service Representative?

Pros

  • Chance to learn about a variety of products and services

  • Possibility of bonuses or other incentives for good performance

  • Opportunities for advancement within the company

  • Chance to work from home in some cases

  • Training and support provided by the company

Cons

  • Strict adherence to company policies and scripts can limit creativity and autonomy

  • Constantly being monitored and evaluated by management

  • Limited opportunities to take breaks or disconnect from work during shifts

  • Potential for burnout due to a high volume of calls or repetitive tasks

  • Possibility of encountering harassment or abuse from customers

Customer Service Representative career paths

Key steps to become a customer service representative

  1. Explore customer service representative education requirements

    Most common customer service representative degrees

    High School Diploma

    32.7 %

    Bachelor's

    30.6 %

    Associate

    21.3 %

  2. Start to develop specific customer service representative skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Cleanliness9.69%
    POS6.98%
    Data Entry5.88%
    Sales Floor5.61%
    Customer Service5.12%
    Show more

  3. Complete relevant customer service representative training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New customer service representatives learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a customer service representative based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real customer service representative resumes.

  4. Research customer service representative duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and plan escalations; assure HIPPA guidelines are followed for confidentially and privacy.
    • Maintain cleanliness and safety and assist patients as necessary.
    • Operate POS system and maintain exceptional and consistent customer service.
    • Exercise proofreading and basic math skills to maintain quality control over documents process

  5. Prepare your customer service representative resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your customer service representative resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a customer service representative resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Customer Service Representative Resume templates

    Build a professional Customer Service Representative resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Customer Service Representative resume.
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume
    Customer Service Representative Resume

  6. Apply for customer service representative jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a customer service representative job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Customer Service Representative Job

Zippi

Are you a Customer Service Representative?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average customer service representative salary

The average Customer Service Representative salary in the United States is $32,260 per year or $16 per hour. Customer service representative salaries range between $25,000 and $41,000 per year.

Average Customer Service Representative Salary
$32,260 Yearly
$15.51 hourly
More customer service representative salary info

What Am I Worth?

salary-calculator

How do customer service representatives rate their job?

4/5

Based On 3 Ratings

5 Stars

4 Stars

3 Stars

2 Stars

1 Star

Customer Service Representative reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2024
Pros

remote job, more schedule flexibility

Cons

very low salary, no career growth, very stressful and not rewarding

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2022
Pros

I got to do a variety of tasks daily. Got treated with respect from management and other coworkers.

Cons

Sometimes I had to finish up job tasks that were assigned to others that were not completed.

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Mar 2022
Pros

Getting to know the people and the you work.with

Cons

Being required to answer a minimum number of calls a day. This pushes the idea that the caller is a number and as such, it is more difficult to personalize the call the the person calling in

Working as a Customer Service Representative? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall Rating*
Career Growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Customer Service Representative FAQs

Have more questions? See all answers to common office and administrative questions.

Search for customer service representative jobs

Customer Service Representative jobs by state

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse office and administrative jobs