Customer Service Representative

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.

On the job, you would:

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.
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.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Customer service representatives must be able to provide clear information in writing, by phone, or in person.

Customer-service skills. Representatives help companies retain customers by professionally answering questions and helping to resolve complaints.

Interpersonal skills. Representatives should be able to create positive interactions with customers.

Listening skills. Representatives must listen carefully to ensure that they understand customers in order to assist them.

Patience. Representatives should be patient and polite, especially when interacting with dissatisfied customers.

Problem-solving skills. Representatives must determine solutions to customers’ problems. By doing so, representatives contribute to customer loyalty and retention.

Personality

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Characteristics of this Career
		94%	Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
		92%	Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
		92%	Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
		89%	Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
		88%	Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
		85%	Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
		85%	Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
		84%	Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
		82%	Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
		82%	Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
		81%	Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
		77%	Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
		75%	Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
		68%	Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
		55%	Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
		54%	Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Strengths
		89%	Enterprising - Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.
		56%	Social - Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
		56%	Conventional - Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Values of the Work Environment
		83%	Relationships - Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
		56%	Support - Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.

Aptitude

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Abilities \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		78%	Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
		78%	Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
		75%	Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
		75%	Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
		72%	Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
		66%	Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
		66%	Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
		60%	Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
		56%	Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
		53%	Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
		53%	Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Skills \| Cognitive, Physical, Personality
		57%	Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
		54%	Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
		52%	Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.

Job Details

Responsibilities

Discuss goods or services information with customers or patrons.

Maintain financial or account records.

Respond to customer problems or complaints.

Execute sales or other financial transactions.

Respond to customer problems or complaints.

Provide notifications to customers or patrons.

Refer customers to appropriate personnel.

Calculate costs of goods or services.

Collect deposits, payments or fees.

Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.

Respond to customer problems or complaints.

Promote products, services, or programs.

Review customer insurance information.

Inspect items for damage or defects.

Review customer insurance information.

Verify accuracy of financial or transactional data.

Process customer bills or payments.

Coordinate operational activities.

Recommend packing or shipping methods.

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent
		100%	Telephone - How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
		96%	Contact With Others - How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
		96%	Indoors, Environmentally Controlled - How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
		95%	Deal With External Customers - How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
		89%	Time Pressure - How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
		88%	Importance of Being Exact or Accurate - How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
		86%	Importance of Repeating Same Tasks - How important is repeating the same physical activities (e.g., key entry) or mental activities (e.g., checking entries in a ledger) over and over, without stopping, to performing this job?
		83%	Electronic Mail - How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
		80%	Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People - How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
		80%	Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions - How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
		76%	Work With Work Group or Team - How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?
		75%	Spend Time Sitting - How much does this job require sitting?
		75%	Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls - How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
		72%	Frequency of Decision Making - How frequently is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
		72%	Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results - What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
		65%	Face-to-Face Discussions - How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
		65%	Coordinate or Lead Others - How important is it to coordinate or lead others in accomplishing work activities in this job?
		59%	Structured versus Unstructured Work - To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
		58%	Frequency of Conflict Situations - How often are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
		56%	Physical Proximity - To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks in close physical proximity to other people?
		56%	Spend Time Standing - How much does this job require standing?
		51%	Freedom to Make Decisions - How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?

A3	Your Strengths	Importance	Tasks & Values
		90%	Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates - Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
		89%	Working with Computers - Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
		88%	Communicating with People Outside the Organization - Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
		84%	Performing for or Working Directly with the Public - Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
		83%	Processing Information - Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
		80%	Getting Information - Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
		79%	Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge - Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
		75%	Training and Teaching Others - Identifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
		75%	Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work - Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
		75%	Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others - Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.
		75%	Making Decisions and Solving Problems - Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
		74%	Performing Administrative Activities - Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
		73%	Documenting/Recording Information - Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
		72%	Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others - Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.
		70%	Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others - Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
		67%	Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships - Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
		66%	Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings - Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
		66%	Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events - Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
		62%	Analyzing Data or Information - Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
		56%	Scheduling Work and Activities - Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.
		53%	Developing and Building Teams - Encouraging and building mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
		52%	Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards - Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

What Customer Service Representatives Do

Customer service representatives listen and respond to customers' questions.

Customer service representatives work with customers to resolve complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.

Duties

Customer service representatives typically do the following:

Listen to customers’ questions and concerns and provide answers or responses
Provide information about products and services
Take orders, calculate charges, and process billing or payments
Review customer accounts and make changes, if necessary
Handle returns or complaints
Record details of customer contacts and actions taken
Refer customers to supervisors or more experienced employees

Customer service representatives answer questions or requests from customers or the public. They typically provide services by phone, but some also interact with customers face to face, by email or text, via live chat, and through social media.

The specific duties of customer service representatives vary by industry. For example, representatives who work in banks may answer customers’ questions about their accounts. Representatives who work for utility and telecommunications companies may help customers with service problems, such as outages. Those who work in retail stores often handle returns, process refunds, and help customers locate items. Although selling a product or service is not their main job, representatives may help generate sales while providing information.

Customer service representatives typically use a telephone, computer, and other office equipment. For example, representatives who work in call centers answer the phone and use computers to explore solutions for customers.

Work Environment

Customer service representatives held about 3.0 million jobs in 2022. The largest employers of customer service representatives were as follows:

Retail trade	18%
Insurance carriers and related activities	11
Business support services	10
Wholesale trade	6
Professional, scientific, and technical services	6

Customer service representatives are employed in nearly every industry. Representatives in offices may work in a large room alongside other employees, so the area can be noisy. Working from home is also possible in some companies. Representatives may be under pressure to answer a designated number of calls while supervisors monitor them for quality assurance. In addition, the work may be stressful when representatives must interact with dissatisfied customers

In retail stores, representatives may spend hours on their feet assisting customers in person.

Work Schedules

Although most customer service representatives work full time, some work part time. Customer service representatives often need to work during busy times, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Jobs in call centers may require representatives to work shifts early in the morning or late at night because some call centers are open 24 hours a day.

Getting Started

Education:

55%

High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

17%

Some College Courses

How to Become a Customer Service Representative

Customer service representatives should be good at communicating and interacting with people and have some experience using computers.

Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation and receive on-the-job training to learn the specific skills needed for the job. They should be good at communicating and interacting with people.

Education

Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. However, some of these workers have postsecondary education that may include a bachelor's degree in fields such as business, communications, and social science.

Training

Customer service representatives usually receive short-term on-the-job training, which typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks. Those who work in finance and insurance may need several months of training to learn complicated financial regulations.

General customer-service training may focus on procedures for answering questions, information about a company’s products and services, and computer and telephone use. Trainees often receive guidance from an experienced worker for the first few weeks of employment.

In certain industries, such as finance and insurance, customer service representatives must stay current with changing regulations.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Customer service representatives who provide information about finance and insurance may need a state license. Although licensing requirements vary by state, they usually include passing an exam. Some employers and organizations provide training for these exams.

Advancement

With experience, customer service representatives may advance to supervisory roles.

Job Outlook

Employment of customer service representatives is projected to decline 5 percent from 2022 to 2032.

Despite declining employment, about 373,400 openings for customer service representatives are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.

Employment

There is expected to be less demand for customer service representatives, especially in retail trade, as their tasks continue to be automated. Self-service systems, social media, and mobile applications enable customers to do simple tasks without interacting with a representative. Advancements in technology will gradually allow these automated systems to do even more tasks. Some companies will continue to use in-house service centers to differentiate themselves from competitors, particularly for complex inquiries such as refunding accounts or confirming insurance coverage.

Contacts for More Information

The Handbook does not have contacts for more information for this occupation.

Similar Occupations

This table shows a list of occupations with job duties that are similar to those of customer service representatives.

Occupation	Job Duties	Entry-Level Education	Median Annual Pay, May 2022
Computer Support Specialists	Computer support specialists maintain computer networks and provide technical help to computer users.	See How to Become One	$59,660
Financial Clerks	Financial clerks do administrative work, help customers, and carry out transactions that involve money.	High school diploma or equivalent	$45,570
Information Clerks	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties, maintain records, collect data, and provide information to customers.	See How to Become One	$38,710
Insurance Sales Agents	Insurance sales agents contact potential customers and sell one or more types of insurance.	High school diploma or equivalent	$57,860
Receptionists	Receptionists do tasks such as answering phones, receiving visitors, and providing information about their organization to the public.	High school diploma or equivalent	$33,960
Retail Sales Workers	Retail sales workers help customers find products they want and process customers’ payments.	No formal educational credential	$30,750
Tellers	Tellers are responsible for accurately processing routine transactions at a bank.	High school diploma or equivalent	$36,380
Wholesale and Manufacturing Sales Representatives	Wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses, government agencies, and other organizations.	See How to Become One	$67,750
General Office Clerks	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	High school diploma or equivalent	$38,040

Customer Service Representative

What they do:

On the job, you would:

Important Qualities

Personality

Characteristics of this Career

Strengths

Values of the Work Environment

Aptitude

Abilities | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Skills | Cognitive, Physical, Personality

Job Details

Attributes & Percentage of Time Spent

Tasks & Values

What Customer Service Representatives Do

Duties

Work Environment

Work Schedules

Getting Started

How to Become a Customer Service Representative

Education

Training

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Advancement

Job Outlook

Employment

Contacts for More Information

Similar Occupations