144 jobs found for Customer Service Representative

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Customer service representatives handle complaints on behalf of their employers and ensure customers are happy with the products. It requires patience and extensive knowledge of the products you are selling. You also answer all incoming calls, take orders, interact with customers on live chat or emails and deal with arising complaints.

what do customer service representative jobs entail?

As a customer service representative, you work in a call center or retail company to answer customers' questions and address their concerns. Aside from dealing with complaints, you generate sales leads by answering inbound calls and taking orders from customers. You also educate customers on using a product and help them troubleshoot any issues with the items.

what is a typical work schedule for customer service representatives

As a customer service representative, your work schedule varies based on the industry. If you work in banks, retail stores, insurance or financial services, your work routine is the standard business hours between 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. That means you work over 45 hours a week and the occasional evening or weekend in overtime hours. When you work in call centers, your work schedule is on a shift basis, including early mornings and evening or night shifts. As a customer service representative, you can find a full-time or part-time position. The role doesn't involve travelling since you accomplish most of the tasks from your workstation using a phone and computer.

what are the pros of customer service representative jobs?

• Multiple advancement opportunities: Customer service representative jobs are entry-level positions that provide fantastic opportunities for advancement. You can grow your career within the customer service industry or build your skills and move to a different profession.
• Flexible work hours: As a customer service representative, you work full-time, part-time or on-shift schedules, which gives you flexibility. The flexible work hours allow you to attend to other commitments.
• Commissions and bonuses: Most companies expect customer service representatives to upsell their products. In exchange, they pay commissions and bonuses to motivate them to generate leads and increase sales.
• Minimal entry requirements: Becoming a customer service representative is an entry-level position with minimal academic requirements. It is also perfect if you are transitioning to a new career.

what are the cons of customer service representative jobs?

• Long hours: In a high-volume customer service workplace like a call center, you have to work long hours since customers call throughout the day. Sometimes, you work nights and weekends when most consumers are available. The repetitive nature of phone calls can also be tiresome.
• Frequent changes to products and services: Since you are the first contact point, you need first-hand knowledge of the products or services of a company. Unfortunately, products change fast, and customer service representatives need to keep up with the modifications to ensure customers receive the correct information. When policies and procedures change frequently, it can be challenging to remember the new guidelines when answering a customer.
• A lot of responsibility: As a customer service representative, you work hard to ensure consumers are satisfied. However, this will pile a lot of pressure on you. It would help if you developed the right attitude and skills for dealing with stressful situations like unfriendly calls from customers.

what are common customer service representative interview questions?

While the interview questions for a customer service representative vary depending on the employer, some common questions include:

• What do you do to turn an unhappy client into a satisfied customer? Everyone knows that appeasing an angry customer is not easy. The employer wants to determine if you can go the extra mile to dissolve a tense situation. Your answer should highlight your tolerance and conflict resolutions skills.
• What happens when you can't solve a customer's problem? Even with regular training on the company's products and maintenance procedures, you may not have answers to every problem. The interviewer is testing your problem-solving skills, confidence and ability to follow company policies.
• Which customer service tools are you familiar with? Every company uses a unique stack of customer service tools. Here the employer wants to determine your familiarity with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems or ticketing systems.

customer service representative resume and cover letter requirements

A customer service representative resume should have the following details:

• Personal information, including physical address, name and email address
• Skill and competencies valuable for customer service representatives
• Relevant work experience
• Educational qualifications
• Accolades and accomplishments pertinent to the role
• Hobbies and interests

Your resume should stand out with the appropriate formatting and relevant keywords to improve your chances of being shortlisted. You should also have a cover letter to emphasize your competencies and experience suitable for the role. Use action verbs and add relevant keywords or skills that the employer is seeking.

what is the job outlook for customer service representatives?

In Canada, customer service representatives are in high demand. Recent survey shows that customer service jobs will increase by 11,300 between 2019 and 2028, with the available skilled workers to fill the positions being 10,600. The high demand is also due to diverse roles in the field and multiple opportunities for career progression. A customer service representative can progress to a marketing or sales position. It is easy to become a sales representative or marketing executive from a customer service job. Alternatively, specialize in customer account management or become an insurance agent. Some customer service representatives increase their qualifications and become marketing managers or recruiters.

what are the different types of customer service representative jobs?

Customer service representative roles vary depending on the method used to contact customers and specific duties in a company. Some types of customer service representatives include:

• Call center agent: This is a customer service representative working in a call center. You can work from home or the company's call center. Your primary role is to respond to customer inquiries via email or phone. Depending on a customer's request, you may answer questions, resolve complaints or place orders on behalf of the consumer.
• Client relations associate: This is a customer service representative who fosters good relationships with important clients for the company. You ensure the customers are satisfied with the company's products and services. Sometimes, you have to liaise with vendors and other employees to meet the clients' needs.
• Customer service coordinator: As a customer service representative, you may be in charge of coordinating various services for clients. That includes processing orders, organizing delivery, tracking delivery and providing installation services. You also resolve customers' issues and arrange returns and exchanges.
• Social media customer care representative: Your job is to handle messages from social media like Facebook and posts or tweets from unhappy customers. You need to monitor social media accounts to respond to inquiries promptly and resolve any issues arising in the company. When you cannot solve a complaint, you escalate the problem to the relevant personnel.
• Customer and technical support representative: A customer service representative in charge of technical support assists customers with the technical aspects of a product. For instance, you help install, maintain and upgrade various technological products. You also help customers troubleshoot problems and advise them on the warranty validity for the company's products.
• Live chat customer service representative: A live chat customer service representative assists customers in real-time when shopping or using the company's products. They help with inquiries and respond to customer complaints through the chat window. You can handle multiple customers simultaneously and integrate cross-selling and upselling.

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what is the average salary for a customer service representative?

In Canada, the average salary of a customer service representative is $31,200 per year, which translates to an hourly rate of $16. Your salary starts at $26,843 per year at the entry-level position due to the minimum experience and educational qualifications. When you have worked a few years in the profession, your earnings increase up to $42,500 per year. The compensation package varies based on location. For instance, large cities in Canada have a high cost of living and increased demand for customer service representatives, which drives up the base salaries. Company size also affects the compensation packages. Large organizations pay more or provide better bonuses and commissions than small companies.

average customer service representative salaries in canada

• annual: $31,200
• monthly: $2,600
• weekly: $600
• hourly: $16

Top paying areas for customer service representatives in Canada include: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia.

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what are the duties and responsibilities of customer service representatives?

As a customer service representative, you interact with customers on behalf of your employer through various support channels. Your duties and responsibilities may vary depending on the company requirements. Some of the tasks include:

• Answer questions on a company's products: Your primary responsibility as a customer service agent is to answer customers' questions on your employer's products and services. The questions can be general inquiries or specific, which means you need extensive knowledge of the products or services to provide prompt and accurate responses to customers and prospects.
• Processing incoming orders and transactions: Sometimes, potential customers make inquiries, and when they are satisfied with the answers, they place an order. It is your job to handle the incoming orders and transactions. You also take care of cancellation, exchanges or product returns for every customer.
• Resolving technical problems with products: As a customer service representative, your job involves troubleshooting problems. That includes providing technical assistance, from installation to customization, maintenance and upgrading the products. The technical support assists users with product optimization and boosts the end-user experience.
• Informing customers about company products: When answering customer questions and resolving issues, you need to provide special offerings and upsell other products. While your primary role is to assist with inquiries, it is important to mention related services.
• Handling complaints: Dealing with customer complaints is an inescapable duty of a customer service representative. You are the first point of contact for customers, which means you receive all the complaints. Your job is to diffuse frustrated customers and resolve complaints. When you cannot help a customer, you should forward the issue to the appropriate internal teams.
• Collecting and analyzing feedback: Collecting customers' feedback is a vital part of being a customer service representative. You use the collected information to improve product qualities and support the marketing teams by generating leads.

where do customer service representatives typically work?

A customer service representative works in various industries, including:

• Call centers
• Information technology consultancy companies
• Retail business
• Marketing consultancy firms
• Banking and finance industries
• Telecommunications and entertainment industries

Most customer service representatives work in office environments and answer customer inquiries through phones, emails and live chat. They also maintain customer records and process orders. Customer service representatives provide support to any company that deals with a large customer base.

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what skills and competencies do customer service representatives need?

You need the following hard and soft skills to excel in customer service:

• Communication and listening skills: You should have exceptional communication skills, whether you provide support through emails or phone calls. You need to explain instructions to customers clearly and concisely to minimize misunderstandings. It is also vital to have listening skills to understand your customers' concerns and reassure them.
• Computer skills: As a customer service representative, you process orders, write emails or retrieve product information. Most of your roles require computing skills like using Microsoft Office tools, email or phone applications and file management systems.
• Mastery of CRM systems: Most companies use CRM systems to manage their customer information. You need expertise in handling CRM software and using it to record customer interactions, track tickets and store clients' contact information.
• Emotional intelligence: As a customer service representative, you need emotional intelligence to manage your customers' emotions. Emotional intelligence helps you maintain calm and have patience when dealing with an angry client. It also helps you understand a customer's perspective and find ways to diffuse a situation. With emotional intelligence, you can also build productive relationships with other workers.
• Problem-solving skills: A customer service representative often faces difficult and unexpected situations when dealing with customers. Problem-solving skills come in handy when resolving customer complaints and addressing concerns about a product. You will also provide proper technical support for troubleshooting problems in tech products.

what training and certifications do customer service representatives need?

Customer service representative roles require minimal educational qualifications, but having some academic certifications to back your skills will make you competitive. 

• To get a customer service representative job, you need a high school diploma, which gives you the basic communication skills necessary for success.
• Alternatively, you can pursue a college course in marketing, sales or customer support to increase your job prospects.

Most companies also provide on-the-job training before you commence work. The training ensures you are familiar with company policies and key product features. You will also learn a few customer service skills and use CRM systems and computer applications. Some companies do not provide on-the-job training, but they require formal industrial training and certifications like Certified Customer Service Professional.

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