Salary and Outlook
According to the US Department of Labor, there are 2,898,900 people employed as customer service representatives in
the United States.
The median annual salary is $36,920.
Entry level employees earn approximately $26,340 per year and senior employees earn approximately $58,640
per year.
Estimates do not include other potential benefits such as health insurance, overtime, or retirement benefits that may be offered by employers.
Job Duties
- Refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation.
- Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing.
- Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments.
- Solicit sales of new or additional services or products.
- Order tests that could determine the causes of product malfunctions.
- Obtain and examine all relevant information to assess validity of complaints and to determine possible causes, such as extreme weather conditions that could increase utility bills.
- Review claims adjustments with dealers, examining parts claimed to be defective, and approving or disapproving dealers' claims.
- Review insurance policy terms to determine whether a particular loss is covered by insurance.
- Compare disputed merchandise with original requisitions and information from invoices and prepare invoices for returned goods.
- Recommend improvements in products, packaging, shipping, service, or billing methods and procedures to prevent future 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.
- Check to ensure that appropriate changes were made to resolve customers' problems.
- Keep records of customer interactions or transactions, recording details of inquiries, complaints, or comments, as well as actions taken.
- Resolve customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting bills.
- Complete contract forms, prepare change of address records, or issue service discontinuance orders, using computers.