With a high school diploma, it may be possible to begin a career as a customer service representative. Customer service representatives address customer issues with products or services on behalf of a company. Further education or training may be required for areas in this field.
Essential Information
Customer service representatives respond to customer inquiries regarding problems with a company's products or services. They do so by way of phone, e-mail, fax and face-to-face meetings. Customer service representative jobs often require only a high school diploma, but the level of education needed might be higher for certain fields. Customer service representatives must also undergo on-the-job training.
| Required Education | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Other Requirements | On-the-job training |
| Projected Job Outlook (2019-2029)* | -2% |
| Median Salary (2020)* | $35,830 |
Source:*U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Job Duties
Customer service representatives take customer questions, complaints and comments. They typically use a computer, telephone or other form of communication to respond to customers' inquiries. They must treat customers with respect and do whatever they can, within company policies, to make sure customers are satisfied with their purchases.
The duties of an individual customer service representative often depend on the nature of the company with which they're employed. For instance, customer service representatives at a telephone company might spend their days providing customers with bill support, while those working for clothing companies might work returns or take questions regarding individual products.
Training Requirements
Customer service representative jobs often require only a high school diploma and skills in communication, writing and math. However, the level of education needed might be higher for certain fields. For example, a high tech industry, such as engineering, typically requires that its customer service representatives have an associate's or bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field. Specific customer service representative certificate programs are available as well. These often focus on computer and communication skills.
Additionally, customer service representatives often must undergo on-the-job training, during which they may have to learn about an industry that they have little or no prior knowledge of. The length of this training varies by employer, and customer service representatives might be required to update their knowledge and skills on a regular basis.
Career Information
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, customer service representative jobs were forecast to decrease by about 2 percent from 2019-2029. Growth was due in part to anticipated new technologies creating opportunities, especially for customer service representatives who work through online chat and e-mail. However, some automated technologies will allow customers to conduct their business entirely online and bypass representatives. The median yearly earning for customer service representatives was $35,830 as of May 2020.
From 2019-2029 the job growth for customer service representatives is projected to decline due to less demand for customer service representatives. Customer service representatives address customer concerns with a company's products or services. Typically a high school diploma and on-the-job training are required to enter this field, although specific training or education may be needed for customer service representatives who work in particular fields, like high tech industries.
