Customer service representatives held about 2.9 million jobs in 2021. The largest employers of customer service representatives were as follows:
| Retail trade | 18% |
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 11 |
| Business support services | 10 |
| Wholesale trade | 6 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 5 |
Customer service representatives are employed in nearly every industry. Representatives in offices may work in a large room alongside other employees, so the area can be noisy. Working from home is also possible in some companies. Representatives may be under pressure to answer a designated number of calls while supervisors monitor them for quality assurance. In addition, the work may be stressful when representatives must interact with dissatisfied customers
In retail stores, representatives may spend hours on their feet assisting customers in person.
Work Schedules
Although most customer service representatives work full time, some work part time. Customer service representatives often need to work during busy times, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Jobs in call centers may require representatives to work shifts early in the morning or late at night because some call centers are open 24 hours a day.
Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation and receive on-the-job training to learn the specific skills needed for the job. They should be good at communicating and interacting with people.
Education
Customer service representatives typically need a high school diploma or equivalent to enter the occupation. However, some of these workers have postsecondary education that may include a bachelor's degree in fields such as business, communications, and social science.
Training
Customer service representatives usually receive short-term on-the-job training, which typically lasts 2 to 4 weeks. Those who work in finance and insurance may need several months of training to learn complicated financial regulations.
General customer-service training may focus on procedures for answering questions, information about a company’s products and services, and computer and telephone use. Trainees often receive guidance from an experienced worker for the first few weeks of employment.
In certain industries, such as finance and insurance, customer service representatives must stay current with changing regulations.
Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations
Customer service representatives who provide information about finance and insurance may need a state license. Although licensing requirements vary by state, they usually include passing an exam. Some employers and organizations provide training for these exams.
Advancement
With experience, customer service representatives may advance to supervisory roles.
Customer service representatives typically have an interest in the Helping, Persuading and Organizing interest areas, according to the Holland Code framework. The Helping interest area indicates a focus on assisting, serving, counseling, or teaching other people. The Persuading interest area indicates a focus on influencing, motivating, and selling to other people. The Organizing interest area indicates a focus on working with information and processes to keep things arranged in orderly systems.
If you are not sure whether you have a Helping or Persuading or Organizing interest which might fit with a career as a customer service representative, you can take a career test to measure your interests.
Customer service representatives should also possess the following specific qualities:
Communication skills. Customer service representatives need strong communication skills to answer customers clearly. They must understand and communicate information effectively in writing, by phone, or in person.
Customer-service skills. Companies rely on representatives to help retain customers by answering customer questions and complaints in a helpful and professional manner.
Interpersonal skills. Creating positive interactions with customers is an essential part of a representative’s job.
Listening skills. Representatives must listen carefully and understand a customer’s situation in order to help them.
Patience. Workers should be patient and polite, especially when interacting with difficult or irate customers.
Problem-solving skills. Representatives must determine solutions to a customer’s problem. By resolving issues effectively, representatives contribute to customer loyalty and retention.
The median hourly wage for customer service representatives was $17.75 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $12.67, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $28.19.
In May 2021, the median hourly wages for customer service representatives in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
| Wholesale trade | $19.76 |
| Insurance carriers and related activities | 18.29 |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 18.13 |
| Business support services | 14.44 |
| Retail trade | 14.34 |
Although most customer service representatives work full time, some work part time. Customer service representatives often need to work during busy times, which may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Jobs in call centers may require representatives to work shifts early in the morning or late at night because some call centers are open 24 hours a day.
Employment of customer service representatives is projected to decline 4 percent from 2021 to 2031.
Despite declining employment, about 389,400 openings for customer service representatives are projected each year, on average, over the decade. All of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
There is expected to be less demand for customer service representatives, especially in retail trade, as their tasks continue to be automated. Self-service systems, social media, and mobile applications enable customers to do simple tasks without interacting with a representative. Advancements in technology will gradually allow these automated systems to do even more tasks. Some companies will continue to use in-house service centers to differentiate themselves from competitors, particularly for complex inquiries such as refunding accounts or confirming insurance coverage.
However, jobs for customer service representatives are projected to be added in business support services, which includes telephone call centers. Some businesses will contract out their customer service operations to telephone call centers that provide consolidated sales and customer service functions.
The Handbook does not have contacts for more information for this occupation.
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