All About Customer Service Representatives
Customer Service Representative Job Description Interact with customers to provide information in response to inquiries about products and services and to handle and resolve complaints.
Daily Life Of a Customer Service Representative
- Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing.
- Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers’ problems.
- 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.
- Review insurance policy terms to determine whether a particular loss is covered by insurance.
- Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments.
- Review claims adjustments with dealers, examining parts claimed to be defective, and approving or disapproving dealers’ claims.
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Things a Customer Service Representative Should Know How to Do
Customer Service Representatives state the following job skills are important in their day-to-day work.
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.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Persuasion: Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
Types of Customer Service Representative Jobs
- Customer Service Clerk
- Lineman Service or Work Dispatcher
- Trouble Clerk
- Claim Clerk
- Claims Customer Service Representative
Is There Job Demand for Customer Service Representatives?
There were about 2,784,500 jobs for Customer Service Representative in 2016 (in the United States). New jobs are being produced at a rate of 4.9% which is below the national average. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts 136,300 new jobs for Customer Service Representative by 2026. There will be an estimated 373,500 positions for Customer Service Representative per year.

The states with the most job growth for Customer Service Representative are Utah, Nevada, and Colorado. Watch out if you plan on working in Maine, Minnesota, or Massachusetts. These states have the worst job growth for this type of profession.
Customer Service Representative Average Salary
The average yearly salary of a Customer Service Representative ranges between $22,140 and $55,310.

Customer Service Representatives who work in District of Columbia, Massachusetts, or Connecticut, make the highest salaries.
How much do Customer Service Representatives make in different U.S. states?
State | Annual Mean Salary |
---|---|
Alabama | $33,580 |
Alaska | $39,300 |
Arizona | $34,570 |
Arkansas | $32,350 |
California | $41,850 |
Colorado | $37,390 |
Connecticut | $41,160 |
Delaware | $38,060 |
District of Columbia | $46,880 |
Florida | $33,730 |
Georgia | $35,130 |
Hawaii | $38,670 |
Idaho | $32,390 |
Illinois | $37,840 |
Indiana | $36,200 |
Iowa | $37,400 |
Kansas | $35,330 |
Kentucky | $32,230 |
Louisiana | $32,440 |
Maine | $34,950 |
Maryland | $37,720 |
Massachusetts | $43,620 |
Michigan | $36,650 |
Minnesota | $39,690 |
Mississippi | $28,210 |
Missouri | $35,020 |
Montana | $34,910 |
Nebraska | $35,730 |
Nevada | $33,690 |
New Hampshire | $38,930 |
New Jersey | $40,330 |
New Mexico | $31,380 |
New York | $40,830 |
North Carolina | $34,690 |
North Dakota | $37,910 |
Ohio | $35,980 |
Oklahoma | $32,790 |
Oregon | $37,570 |
Pennsylvania | $37,000 |
Rhode Island | $38,970 |
South Carolina | $32,320 |
South Dakota | $31,150 |
Tennessee | $34,420 |
Texas | $33,770 |
Utah | $33,790 |
Vermont | $37,760 |
Virginia | $35,030 |
Washington | $40,820 |
West Virginia | $31,730 |
Wisconsin | $37,850 |
Wyoming | $36,400 |
Tools & Technologies Used by Customer Service Representatives
Although they’re not necessarily needed for all jobs, the following technologies are used by many Customer Service Representatives:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Outlook
- Microsoft Access
- Data entry software
- SAP
- Microsoft Windows
- Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Adobe Systems Adobe Photoshop
- Microsoft Dynamics
- IBM Notes
- Microsoft Publisher
- Google Docs
- FileMaker Pro
- Adobe Systems Adobe Illustrator
- Intuit QuickBooks
How do I Become a Customer Service Representative?
What education is needed to be a Customer Service Representative?

How Long Does it Take to Become a Customer Service Representative?

Who Employs Customer Service Representatives?

The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.

Related Careers
Those interested in being a Customer Service Representative may also be interested in:
Are you already one of the many Customer Service Representative in the United States? If you’re thinking about changing careers, these fields are worth exploring:
References:
Image Credit: Jace Armstrong via public domain
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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