Call Center / Customer Support, Administrative Support

Customer Service Representative

Overview

A customer service representative is a professional who interacts with customers on behalf of a company to help resolve issues or answer questions. They may provide support via phone, email, or chat and should have excellent communication and problem-solving skills.

The main responsibilities of a customer service representative include handling inquiries and complaints, providing information about products or services, processing orders and returns, and ensuring customer satisfaction. They must be able to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, and have strong problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.

Common tasks 

    TaskRelated trait(s)
    Responding to emails, calls, chat messages, or other forms of communication from customers Conscientiousness Poise
    Listening to customers and identifying their needs, concerns, assist and resolve complaints Sympathy Poise Conscientiousness Morality Calmness
    Referring complex or unresolved issues to higher-level support or management Docility
    Processing orders, refunds, and returns according to established policies and procedures Docility
    Working with other departments and stakeholders 
    Following up with customers to ensure satisfaction Conscientiousness
    Providing feedback to management on ways to improve customer satisfaction and overall customer experience Docility 

    Soft skills measured by TraitForward

    TraitNo of QuestionsCronbach’s  alpha (α)
    Calmness80.81
    Are they calm?
    Sympathy80.82
    Are they sympathetic?
    Conscientiousness70.77
    Do they have a desirable work ethic?
    Morality100.74
    Are they truthful to others? Will they treat others fairly?
    Docility60.69
    Will they feel comfortable having to follow requests from customers and supervisors?
    Teamwork90.73
    Are they good team members?
    Poise40.75
    Are they able to easily understand and resolve issues?
    *Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (α) determines the extent to which the questions consistently measure each trait and it is expressed as a number ranging between 0 and 1 . Higher values indicate higher agreement between questions.  A value of α equal to greater than .7 indicates acceptable reliability or internal consistency.  For more information on the psychometric properties of the solution, please click here.

    Did you Know?

    Source: US Department of Labor – Bureau of Labor Statistics

    Median wage: 

    $36,920 / per year

    $18 / hour

    A relatively low annual wage is $26,340 (10th percentile)

    A relatively high salary of the annual wage is $58,640 (90th percentile)

    Expected employment growth:

    Number of professionals occupied in US in 2021: 2.9 M

    Projected number of professionals occupied in US in 2031: 2.8 M

    Employment percent change: -3.6%

    Entry Education level:

    To become a customer service representative, one typically needs a high school diploma or equivalent, although some employers may require additional education or experience. Customer service representatives must be able to work well in a team environment and have excellent interpersonal skills. They should also be comfortable working with computers and be able to navigate customer service software and other tools used to manage customer interactions. Additionally, customer service representatives should have a positive and patient demeanor, even in challenging situations.

    Find out the psychometric properties for the Customer Service Representative Traitforward questionnaire

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