Customer service representatives work with customers to resolve complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.
Customer service representatives typically do the following:
Customer service representatives answer questions or requests from customers or the public. They typically provide services by phone, but some also interact with customers face to face, by email or text, via live chat, and through social media.
The specific duties of customer service representatives vary by industry. For example, representatives who work in banks may answer customers’ questions about their accounts. Representatives who work for utility and telecommunications companies may help customers with service problems, such as outages. Those who work in retail stores often handle returns, process refunds, and help customers locate items. Although selling a product or service is not their main job, representatives may help generate sales while providing information.
Customer service representatives typically use a telephone, computer, and other office equipment. For example, representatives who work in call centers answer the phone and use computers to explore solutions for customers.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
With experience, customer service representatives may advance to supervisory roles.
Communication skills. Customer service representatives must be able to provide clear information in writing, by phone, or in person.
Customer-service skills. Representatives help companies retain customers by professionally answering questions and helping to resolve complaints.
Interpersonal skills. Representatives should be able to create positive interactions with customers.
Listening skills. Representatives must listen carefully to ensure that they understand customers in order to assist them.
Patience. Representatives should be patient and polite, especially when interacting with dissatisfied customers.
Problem-solving skills. Representatives must determine solutions to customers’ problems. By doing so, representatives contribute to customer loyalty and retention.
Median hourly wages, May 2021
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.
Percent change in employment, projected 2021-31
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.
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.
| Occupational Title | SOC Code | Employment, 2021 | Projected Employment, 2031 | Change, 2021-31 | Employment by Industry | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent | Numeric | ||||||
SOURCE: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program |
|||||||
Customer service representatives |
43-4051 | 2,898,900 | 2,793,600 | -4 | -105,300 | Get data | |
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