Also called:
Account Representative, Customer Service Representative (CSR), Customer Service Specialist, Member Services Representative (Member Services Rep)
In the Air Force:
Financial Management and Comptroller; Financial Management and Comptroller Craftsman; Financial Management and Comptroller Superintendent; Health Services Management Apprentice; Health Services Management Helper; Health Services Management Journeyman, Health Information Technology; Personnel Apprentice; Personnel Helper; Public Affairs; Public Affairs Craftsman
People with strong listening and problem-solving skills… who can patiently explain product details and handle complaints… have the key qualities needed to be a customer service representative. Customer service representatives —or CSRs— work in nearly every industry to process orders, provide information about products and services, and resolve complaints… usually by phone, although some work with customers face-to-face, by email, or live chat. Customer service representative duties vary by industry: they may answer banking account questions, track utility service outage reports, process returns and refunds in a store, or help customers find a product they’re looking for online. Many CSR positions are in telephone call centers, credit and insurance agencies, banks, and retail stores. Representatives often answer calls in a large, shared work area, which can be crowded and noisy. Some CSRs are required to take a certain number of calls during their shift, and all CSRs deal with at least the occasional dissatisfied customer. Most representatives work full time… schedules may include nights, early mornings, weekends, or holidays. Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma and are trained on the job. Good communication skills and experience using computers are helpful for candidates.
What they do:
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.
Business
customer service
management
Arts and Humanities
English language
Math and Science
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics
Engineering and Technology
computers and electronics
Basic Skills
listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions
talking to others
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Social
looking for ways to help people
bringing people together to solve differences
Verbal
communicate by speaking
listen and understand what people say
Ideas and Logic
notice when problems happen
use rules to solve problems
People interested in this work like activities that include leading, making decisions, and business.
They do well at jobs that need:
Dependability
Attention to Detail
Self Control
Stress Tolerance
Integrity
Adaptability/Flexibility
You might use software like this on the job:
Data base user interface and query software
Airtable
Yardi software
Customer relationship management CRM software
Salesforce software
Telemation e-CRM
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
Microsoft Dynamics
SAP software
high school diploma/GED or some college usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.