Customer service representative
Also known as: customer complaints handler, customer feedback representative, customer experience manager, assistant customer service representative, graduate customer service representative, information office worker
About this occupation
Customer service representatives handle complaints and are responsible for maintaining overall goodwill between an organisation and its customers. They manage data regarding customer satisfaction and report it.
Essential skills and knowledge
- implement customer follow-up
- provide customer follow-up services
- prioritise tasks
- process customer orders
- process order forms with customer's information
- communicate with customers
- perform multiple tasks at the same time
- keep records of customer interaction
- ensure customer focus
- customer service
- guarantee customer satisfaction
- analyse problems for opportunities
Typical tasks and preparation
From the related US occupation profile Customer Service Representatives (O*NET 43-4051.00). Linked by an official crosswalk: related, not identical; details vary by country.
- 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.
- Contact customers to respond to inquiries or to notify them of claim investigation results or any planned adjustments.
- Determine charges for services requested, collect deposits or payments, or arrange for billing.
- Complete contract forms, prepare change of address records, or issue service discontinuance orders, using computers.
- Typical education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Preparation
- Job Zone 2 of 5
- Interests
- Conventional, Enterprising, Social
Top skills: Active Listening, Service Orientation, Speaking, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Complex Problem Solving
US median pay: US$44,770 a year (2025), 2,595,750 employed. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Subjects this work relies on
How important each subject's knowledge is in the job itself, rated by people doing it (1 to 5).
- English or Literature in EnglishO*NET: English LanguageVery important (3.9)
- Business Studies or EntrepreneurshipO*NET: Administration and ManagementVery important (3.5)
- Mathematics or StatisticsO*NET: MathematicsImportant (3.3)
- Computer StudiesO*NET: Computers and ElectronicsImportant (3.3)
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Preparation needed
Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
- Most common education (US)
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
- Education
- Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
- Experience
- Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.
- Training
- Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Related occupations
Occupations O*NET links to this one by similar work, skills and knowledge.
- Sales Representatives of Services, Except Advertising, Insurance, Financial Services, and Travel
- Telemarketers
- Insurance Claims and Policy Processing Clerks
- Credit Authorizers, Checkers, and Clerks
- New Accounts Clerks
- Receptionists and Information Clerks
- Billing and Posting Clerks
- Brokerage Clerks
- Bill and Account Collectors
- Order Clerks
O*NET data describe work in the United States; requirements differ by country. This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. CareerProof Global has modified all or some of this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.