What does a customer service representative do?
Customer service representatives are excellent communicators who are focused on ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction. They give customers information or advice about a company’s products or services, resolve any customer complaints and perform a variety of other customer service tasks. These professionals rely on their extensive knowledge of the company as well as internal resources like a knowledge base to provide customers with the information they need. Although selling is not the main focus of this position, customer service representatives help to generate sales by giving existing or new customers information about products or services and responding to their reservations or doubts.
Customer service representative skills and qualifications
To succeed in their role, a customer service representative must be able to empathise and understand other people’s points of view so that they can effectively resolve customer complaints or inquiries. Other necessary skills and qualifications include:
- excellent communication skills
- outstanding customer service skills
- strong interpersonal skills and an ability to maintain relationships with customers
- ability to remain calm when interacting with customers who are stressed or upset
- strong problem-solving skills
- good computer literacy and data entry skills
- thorough knowledge of the company and its products or services
Customer service representative experience requirements
Previous experience is typically not required for most entry-level positions, as employers usually provide training on the job. Some employers may prefer candidates with at least one to two years of similar experience in a customer-facing role. Previous experience in a similar role is usually an essential requirement for higher-level roles with greater responsibilities, such as lead or senior customer service representative. For positions in highly technical fields, such as health care, candidates who have a medical or science background, for example, science graduates, will be highly regarded by employers.
Customer service representative education and training requirements
Most employers expect candidates to have a Year 10 education or secondary school leaving certificate as a minimum. However, an undergraduate university degree generally is not a requirement. Candidates with a relevant bachelor’s degree, such as a Bachelor of Business, will stand out against other applicants and have good prospects for career progression.
Customer service representative salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a customer service representative in Australia is $59,273 per year. This salary figure is subject to factors such as the company, industry, location or the employee’s experience.
Job description samples for similar positions
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Customer service representative job description FAQs
How can you make your customer service representative job description stand out?
To help your job posting get noticed, make sure your job description is written in a clear and concise way. Be transparent and upfront about the salary, including any overtime or penalty rates. You should also highlight any perks or incentives, such as flexible working arrangements, generous annual leave entitlements or store credit. As customer service representatives work in almost every industry, they may not be familiar with the products or services that you offer, so make sure that you clearly describe these in your job description. This will help candidates to get an idea of what the role will be like.
Who does a customer service representative report to?
Working in an office or call centre, customer service representatives usually report to a team leader or customer service manager.
What should you look for in a customer service representative resume?
When reviewing resumes for a customer service representative position, look out for candidates who have previous customer service experience. Given that customer service skills are highly transferrable, even experience in a completely different industry or role could be very valuable. For example, perhaps they have worked as a concierge for a hotel or as a patient care coordinator for a medical practice. Candidates should also be able to demonstrate soft skills, such as interpersonal and communication skills. Look out for specific examples of duties and responsibilities that required these skills.
*Indeed provides this information as a courtesy to users of this site. Please note that we are not your recruiting or legal advisor, we are not responsible for the content of your job descriptions, and none of the information provided herein guarantees performance.
