Helping you find a career in the customer service industry
If you like the idea of keeping customers happy and solving problems at the same time, a career in customer service could be for you.
Customer service jobs might involve answering queries, helping with purchases or providing the little extras that make customers come back for more. It's about providing customers and members of the public with the best experience possible, so they stay loyal to your product, brand or service - and hopefully recommend it to others!
Most businesses employ customer service professionals as a first point of contact for consumers and other companies, so there is a wide selection of employers to choose from. As the face of an organisation, customer service professionals ensure consumers have a positive experience, whether that's in person, over the phone or online. Often there is an element of sales in a customer services role, so it helps if you have strong powers of persuasion, as well as diplomacy and tact.
Customer service can sometimes be a nine-to-five job, but many companies employ staff around the clock - so shift and part-time work is common.
The skills you'll build from a customer service job involve using particular systems or computer programs, as well as handling sometimes lengthy or complex queries whilst remaining friendly and professional. Your employer will give you the training that you need.
Types of jobs within customer service
Regardless of the exact nature of the job, customer service is all about making sure the customer is happy and that their needs have been addressed by the time their interaction with you comes to an end. This is true for all jobs across the sector, and for all types of industry - whether you're working in a call centre for a telecommunications company, a fashion giant, a high street bank, or something else entirely.
Sectors that heavily rely on their customer service staff include:
- Telecommunications
- Retail
- Banking
- Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
- Food & Drink
- Travel & tourism
- Sports & recreation
Some larger companies will have entire customer service departments which will regularly take on new staff. You can start your career at a very basic level, before moving into roles in customer relations or customer complaints. Eventually, as your career progresses, you are likely to have the opportunity to move into roles as a team leader or a manager.
Examples of roles within customer service include:
- Customer adviser
- Customer service assistant
- Team leader
- Customer service supervisor
- Complaints manager
- Customer service manager