all about customer service representative jobs
As you interact with customers, answering their questions and performing transactions, you’ll know it’s your role that makes the business tick. The potential for creating good relationships, a positive public image, and overall business success in is immense.
Problem solving comes easily to you. You love talking with new people and enjoy providing a pleasant and helpful experience to encourage customers to do repeat business. When handling complaints, you’re able to turn a negative situation into a positive outcome.
Are you thinking of becoming a customer service representative? With the growth of service-oriented businesses across Canada, now is the time to explore your options.
what customer service representative jobs entail
You must know your company’s products, services, and policies inside out.
When a tough situation arises, you do everything in your power to solve the problem before escalating it to a team leader or customer service manager. Your manager will arrange for your training and help advance your knowledge of products and services so that you’ll be able to handle more complex inquiries without escalating them.
average customer service representative salaries
There are various types and levels of customer service representative jobs. Your role and title will determine your salary. Some entry-level jobs include call centre agents or bank customer service representatives. No specific education or experience is required in these jobs. In these roles, you'll make a rate of about $13-15 per hour.
As you gain experience, you can advance into intermediate or supervisory customer service jobs that require experience or additional knowledge about specific products or services. Depending on the type of customer service job, your experience and location, you can earn between $27,000 and $45,000 per year. If you're bilingual, you can earn even more, as many customer service jobs in Canada will pay a premium rate to English/French speakers. The average customer service representative salary in Canada is about $30,000 per year.
your day to day tasks
Customer service representatives typically spend their day listening and responding to customers’ needs and concerns. They provide information about customer accounts, products, services and costs. As a customer service representative, you’ll have a variety of tasks that could include:
- opening or updating customer accounts
- taking orders and arranging for deliveries
- overseeing billing or payments
- maintaining customer records
- collecting customer information and analyzing customer needs
- solving problems or complaints and arranging returns of merchandise
- On occasion, difficult customers will test your interpersonal skills. Your superior skills in diplomacy and communications will help you find a fair solution even for the most demanding customer. Occasionally you’ll need to refer a customer to your supervisor or manager.
where you can work
Virtually all industries hire customer service representatives to carry out key business transactions and ensure their customers are satisfied. The most popular industries include banking, insurance, retail, telecommunication services and technology.
You can find higher paying customer service jobs in technical industries if you already have some training or experience. For example, if you have knowledge of software computer applications and equipment, you might qualify for technical customer support roles such as help desk.
Whatever industry you’re considering, you’ll find customer service jobs right across Canada with the most opportunities in large cities such as Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montréal.
what you bring to the table
Your primary role includes interacting with customers, so you’ll need top-notch communication and interpersonal skills. Sometimes it will be difficult to explain services, policies, processes and account details, so your ability to speak and write clearly is essential. You’ll also need:
- diplomacy, tact and discretion
- experience with clerical or administrative tasks
- analytical and problem solving skills
- an ability to do calculations and work with numbers
- proficiency with computers and standard office software applications
- superior organizational and time management skills
- decision-making skills and the ability to work with little direction
training and certifications
Most entry level customer service representative jobs require at least a high school graduation diploma. Preference may be given to those with a post-secondary education in business, computer technology or a relevant field. Some employers also look for candidates with previous sales or customer service experience, or experience working in a call centre.
Customer service representative jobs at higher levels may require technical knowledge, certifications, or experience specific to the industry you're working in. To apply for these jobs, you’ll need prior training in your field and specific product knowledge to help your customers.
where your career is headed
When you start working as a customer service representative, it may be your first job experience after school. Learning customer service skills is a great starting point that provides you with vital experience needed to succeed many other occupations in the same industry or possibly a different industry.
As your industry knowledge and skills grow with experience, you’ll develop a strong foundation for opportunities at higher levels. In a customer service job, you should always remain open to improving your skills and training in your industry so you can advance to related jobs in the future, such as a sales role or jobs with a managerial component.