A Customer Service Representative (CSR) is the first point of contact for any customer who has a question or an issue with a product or service the company sells. They have many responsibilities like answering inbound phone calls, addressing customers' questions about products and services, and processing payments or returns.
What is a Customer Service ?
The job of a customer service , also known as a customer service representative, is to offer support to customers who have questions, concerns, problems, or who want to purchase a product or service. Some customer service agents work from home and communicate with clients on the phone, by email, through online chat programs, or even on social media. Other agents work in a call center or at an office. Customer service agents may be the only contact a customer has with a company, so it's important that they make the experience as positive as possible.
A customer service agent needs a minimum of a high school diploma or GED, but many companies prefer to hire agents who have sales experience or an undergraduate degree. The most successful customer service agents are conversational, but know how to identify the needs of customers and resolve problems. An agent should always be professional, courteous and polite even in stressful circumstances.
Customer Service Job Description Template
Job Overview
Here at XYZ Inc., we are the leading company in our industry in the Capital City area. We're pleased to have a 3.8 Glassdoor rating from our employees. We are hiring an experienced Customer Service Agent to help us keep growing. If you're dedicated and ambitious, XYZ Inc. is an excellent place to grow your career. Don't hesitate to apply.
Responsibilities for Customer Service Agent
- Communicate with current and potential clients via telephone, email, online chat, or social media
- Listen attentively to questions and concerns and respond promptly with a resolution according to company guidelines
- Maintain a courteous and calm manner at all times to de-escalate stressful situations
- Document personal information to create, update, or adjust customer accounts
- Prepare call-related information for purposes of auditing and reporting
- Provide and respond to feedback about any aspect of the job or its duties
- Suggest products and services to clients based on their requests and needs
- Answer inbound calls or generate outbound calls, in some cases cold calling to follow up on orders
Qualifications for Customer Service Agent
- Undergraduate degree in business, sales, or related field of study preferred
- Prior experience working in call centers or as an at-home customer service agent
- Proficiency with basic computer applications, such as Microsoft Windows, Word, and Excel
- Bilingual language skills a plus, especially Spanish, Mandarin, and French
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Ability to remain calm and composed in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment
- Good empathy and listening skills to de-escalate situations and identify the underlying issues of a problem
- Ability to stand or sit for extended periods of time
- Familiarity with Automatic Call Distribution Phone System (ACD), caller ID, and auto-dialing systems
What does a Customer Service Representative do?
A Customer Service Representative, or CSR, will act as a liaison, provide product/services information, answer questions, and resolve any emerging problems that our customer accounts might face with accuracy and efficiency.
The best CSRs are genuinely excited to help customers. They're patient, empathetic, and passionately communicative. They love to talk and understand the value of good communication skills. Customer service representatives can put themselves in their customers' shoes and advocate for them when necessary. Customer feedback is priceless, and these CSRs can gather that for you. Problem-solving also comes naturally to customer care specialists. They are confident at troubleshooting and investigate if they don't have enough information to answer customer questions or resolve complaints.
The target is to ensure excellent service standards, respond efficiently to customer inquiries and maintain high customer satisfaction.
Requirements and skills
- Proven customer support experience or experience as a Client Service Representative
Track record of over-achieving quota
Strong phone contact handling skills and active listening
Familiarity with CRM systems and practices
Customer orientation and ability to adapt/respond to different types of characters
Excellent communication and presentation skills
Ability to multi-task, prioritize, and manage time effectively
High school diploma