Learn about the important requirements, obligations, responsibilities, and skills that should be in a customer service representative job description.
Customer service representatives are the backbone of many companies. As online retail and eCommerce platforms continue to be the way consumers prefer to shop, these representatives are essential for liaising between a business and their customers. Often, they are the first voice someone will hear when trying to address concerns or return an item.
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Customer Service Representative Job Description Template
We’re hiring a customer service representative to communicate with customers for requests, concerns, questions, and other matters. Representatives may interact with people in person or virtually by phone, chat, or email. Successful customer service representatives can work well under pressure, be even-tempered when dealing with conflict, and confidently operate customer service-related programs.
Customer Service Representative Responsibilities
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Document all customer interactions
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Professionally handle and resolve customer complaints
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Promptly responding to requests for information
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Having a solid knowledge of the products and relaying this information to customers
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Fulfilling orders
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Communicate with management and other staff to coordinate proper resolutions to customer requests
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Ensuring customer satisfaction
Customer Service Representative Requirements
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Have a high school diploma or equivalent
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Professional experience in a support role and handling interactions with customers
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Strong communication and computer skills
Customer Service Representative Duties And Responsibilities
If you’re a natural problem solver and enjoy working with people, being a customer service representative might be a great career choice.
Adding this role to your team can also be highly beneficial. Here are some of the most important responsibilities.
Professionally handle and resolve customer complaints
For the most part, customer service representatives don’t know what type of personalities they will encounter when they show up to work for the day. Because of this, they have to be prepared to handle conflict and frustrated customers with a positive attitude. Strong self-monitoring skills, self-awareness, and being punctual and proactive are all useful to remain professional when dealing with a demanding customer.
Document all customer interactions
Whether a customer service representative is working in-person or remotely, documenting all interactions and information like birthdays, buying history, and other personal details with a customer is vital to a company’s success. Not only does this help for liability purposes, but it also improves customer service. When a representative can view previous conversations, requests, or concerns, they can personalize the customer’s experience.
Having a solid knowledge of the products and relaying this information to customers
A customer service representative should be highly familiar with the company’s products and services, along with their policies and procedures. Then, they should be able to articulate this information clearly and concisely to customers – especially when resolving a dispute. Paying attention to detail and strong communication skills are helpful for this responsibility.
Communicate with management and other staff to coordinate proper resolutions to customer requests
Knowing when something is out of your wheelhouse is vital when working in a customer service role. To correctly resolve customer requests, representatives must know when to pass a task on to a superior or a different department. Upon hire, a company should provide them with the necessary connections within the workplace to do this.
However, thinking quickly and being adaptable are two skills that come in handy when handling customer requests.
Promptly responding to requests for information
Being conscious of time is a necessary skill for almost every job across all industries, but it is especially crucial for customer service representatives. To avoid a backlog of tasks, a good candidate for this position can stay on task, minimize procrastination, and ask questions when they’re having trouble. Questions about these skills are often asked during an initial interview or on the application.
Customer Service Representative Salary And Job Outlook
Median National Salary: $36,493
Education Required: High School Diploma
Number of Jobs: 2,898,900
Job Growth 2020 – 2030: -4%
The Bottom Line
While experts are predicting that customer service representative positions will decline slightly in the future, it is still a necessary position for many companies. There are many job posting sites to search for these positions and similar ones. To be successful in a customer-facing role, especially a service representative position, applicants should have strong communication skills, be adaptable, and excel at problem-solving.
Are you ready to start applying for a new job or hiring for your team? Post your Customer Service Representative job description on ZipRecruiter today!
