Customer service representatives provide vital service to the survival of a business. They respond to customer’s questions and make sure that any problems they are having are solved. Questions about a status of an order or an address change can be dealt with easily. However, some questions may require additional research or help from a more knowledgeable party. If the customer has a complaint, the representative may be able to fix the problem or suggest solutions. Most customer service representatives do their work by telephone in call centers although some interact with customers by email, fax, post or face to face.
So what kind of qualifications do you need to become a customer service representative? Most jobs require a high school diploma. However, some employers are requiring associates or bachelor’s degrees. Courses in computers, English and business can be helpful in this type of job. Most companies have training sessions before beginning work. These sessions usually focus on the company, the products, most commonly asked questions, the computer and telephone systems and basic people skills.
What other skills would you need? Good communications and problem solving skills are necessary. Listening and verbal skills are equally important,. Having a pleasant speaking voice and enunciating clearly are also something they look for. If the job calls for communicating through email then good spelling, good typing skills and grammar skills are necessary. Basic to intermediate computer knowledge and good interpersonal skills are important. If you have the ability to deal patiently with complaints and problems and to remain courteous with difficult people, that’s a plus in your favor. You also have to be able to work independently within a certain time constraint.
Make no mistake, this job can have a high level of stress involved with it. You can spend the entire day on the phone listening to problems and dealing with irate customers. Although there are a variety of work environments, most are clean and well lit. If you work in a call station, the representatives usually have their own work station or cubicle. These positions can require workers to work early mornings, evening or late shifts. Working weekends or holidays are common. The good points are that this job is well suited to a person who needs a flexible work schedule. There are long periods of sitting, tying or looking at a computer screen which may cause eye and muscle strain, backaches, headaches and repetitive motion injuries. One new trend is to hire telecommuters who provide customer service from working at home. This can be a major advantage for worker who need to remain at home during the day.
The ability to resolve customer’s problems and answer their questions has the potential to be very rewarding. The job is challenging and the correct interaction with customers can bring back repeat business. Are you up for the challenge?
Comments, as always, are welcome.
By Linda Lee Ruzicka
Linda Lee Ruzicka lives in the mountains of Western PA , happily married and with her 8 cats and three dogs. She has been published in Twilight Times, Dark Krypt, Fables, Writing Village, June Cotner anthology, The Grit, Reminisce , the book, Haunted Encounters: Friends and Family. She also does freelances work for Nexxt and for CSJobs.com. More of her blogs can be found at CSJobsblog.com.
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