Occupation · SOC 43-4051
Customer Service Representatives
Interact with customers to provide basic or scripted information in response to routine inquiries about products and services. May handle and resolve general complaints. Excludes individuals whose duties are primarily installation, sales, repair, and technical support.
Median wage
$42,830
$30,690–$62,730
Projected growth
-5.5%
Declining
Annual openings
-15,370
per year
Employed (US)
2,725,930
Job Zone 2
Typical preparation
Some preparation
Stackable credential programs
32 mapped
Core skills
Service OrientationActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingComplex Problem SolvingTime ManagementWriting
Knowledge areas
Customer and Personal ServiceEnglish LanguageAdministration and ManagementSales and MarketingMathematics
Technology & tools
Network conferencing softwareDocument management softwareGraphics or photo imaging softwareHuman resources softwareData base user interface and query software
Representative tasks
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.Refer unresolved customer grievances to designated departments for further investigation.Resolve customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting bills.Review insurance policy terms to determine whether a particular loss is covered by insurance.Solicit sales of new or additional services or products.Compare disputed merchandise with original requisitions and information from invoices and prepare invoices for returned goods.Obtain and examine all relevant information to assess validity of complaints and to determine possible causes, such as extreme weather conditions that could increase utility bills.Recommend improvements in products, packaging, shipping, service, or billing methods and procedures to prevent future problems.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Account lookups and identity verification — perform per company script across the standard contact channels.Customer-facing tone and pacing — deliver consistently within the first month under QA review.Knowledge-base articles for common questions — read, paraphrase, and apply during a call without dead air.Ticketing-system data entry — log calls accurately to the company's CRM schema.Hold-and-transfer procedures — execute correctly when an issue exceeds tier-1 scope.Common script paths (returns, billing questions, password resets) — follow to resolution on familiar issues.Compliance disclosures (recording notice, do-not-call) — deliver verbatim per regulatory requirements.Personal-info handling (PHI, PCI) — apply the company's privacy posture in every interaction.Tone-of-voice corrections from QA — incorporate within one coaching cycle.Schedule adherence (login, breaks, ACW) — meet within the team's stated targets.
developing
Multi-channel coverage (phone, chat, email simultaneously) — handle a routine queue without quality loss.Customer objections and negotiation requests — handle within authority limits without escalating routinely.Cross-sell and retention scripts — apply naturally on appropriate calls to hit team metrics.Recurring escalation patterns — recognize early and route to the right specialist team.Soft-skills techniques (empathy statements, paraphrase, summary close) — apply reliably during difficult calls.QA scorecards and call-coaching feedback — incorporate consistently to maintain quality targets.New-hire shadowing for tier-1 colleagues — host during onboarding weeks.Customer notes and disposition coding — categorize accurately for downstream analytics.Knowledge-base improvements — flag missing or outdated articles to the team lead.Wrap-up time and call-handle metrics — meet without compromising customer experience.
proficient
Difficult customers and de-escalation moments — resolve autonomously without supervisor intervention.Tier-2 complex cases (fraud holds, account closures, regulatory complaints) — handle within company authority limits.Cross-functional partner teams (billing, fulfillment, fraud, legal) — collaborate to resolve multi-step issues.Coaching newer reps on call recordings — provide actionable feedback in formal review sessions.Workflow process gaps — identify and propose to the team lead for QA improvement.Subject-matter depth in 1–2 product lines — develop and become a team go-to.Customer-experience metrics (CSAT, NPS, FCR) — interpret personal trends and adjust technique.Quality-monitoring calibrations — participate as a peer reviewer in team QA sessions.Schedule and seat-coverage during outages or peak events — flex to support team operations.Voice-of-customer themes — synthesize and surface to product or operations teams.
advanced
Team supervision (10–20 reps) — manage with daily huddles, weekly 1:1s, and performance plans.Workforce-management and shrinkage forecasting — partner with WFM on staffing accuracy.Quality-monitoring program — own at the team or program level including coaching and calibration.Tier-3 and executive-escalation handling — represent the company on customer relationships at risk.New-program rollout (new product, new channel, system migration) — lead training and proficiency curves.Career development for team members — sponsor toward tier-2, QA, WFM, or supervisor tracks.Cross-program initiatives (knowledge-base, process, training) — represent the operations voice.Customer-experience strategy — contribute to multi-quarter planning with operations and product.Compliance-program ownership (privacy, recording, regulatory) — partner with legal and compliance teams.Operations leadership pipeline (assistant manager, manager) — develop and progress over multi-year horizons.
Also known as
105 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Customer Care Service RepresentativeCustomer Service SpecialistCompensation AdjusterCustomer Service OfficerClient Relations SpecialistMarine Corps Community Services Marine (Marine Corps 4133)Financial Management and Comptroller Craftsman (Air Force 6F071)Customer Care Representative (CCR)Customer Relations RepresentativeWarranty ClerkGuest Service AgentComplaints AdjusterYeoman (Coast Guard YN)Policyholder Information ClerkWarranty AdministratorPublic Affairs Apprentice (Air Force 3N036)Returns ClerkTelephone Service AdvisorCustomer AdvocateTire AdjusterPublic Affairs Craftsman (Air Force 3N076)Bill AdjusterMember Services Representative (Member Services Rep)Logistics Specialist (Navy LS)Health Services Management Superintendent (Air Force 4A091)Customer-Complaint ClerkCustomer Care SpecialistService Advocate ContactAutomotive Service AdvisorProduct Support SpecialistClient Service Representative (Client Service Rep)Personnel Superintendent (Air Force 3F091)Health Services Management Craftsman, Health Information Technology (Air Force 4A071S)Financial Management and Comptroller Journeyman (Air Force 6F051)Financial Management and Comptroller Apprentice (Air Force 6F031)Customer Service ProfessionalCustomer Service ClerkRetail Operator (Navy 001727)Verifying SpecialistHub Associate