There’s no doubt that you’ve heard of customer service. Maybe you’ve called a customer service line to leave a review or ask about a product or service. Regardless, the importance of customer service roles remains prominent throughout many different industries.
If you’re curious about working in customer service, you’ll want to learn about what it’s like first.
To guide you towards a career in customer service, we’ve compiled this comprehensive guide on customer service. Keep reading to learn more about customer service overall, types of roles, customer service skills, and more!
What Working in Customer Service Looks Like
Benefits and Challenges of Working in Customer Service
Before you accept a position at a company, you should consider how you can mutually benefit and what challenges you may face.
Benefits
Customer service, in its simplest form, is solving the problem a customer brings to you. At times, this might seem more than a little challenging, especially if you’re new to the role. However, the age-old adage rings true: practice makes perfect. The more time you spend in customer service, the more likely you are to hone your problem-solving skills.
Another benefit of customer service experience to consider is the knowledge you gain about a company. As a customer service representative, you’ll learn about the company’s products and services to help a customer with their issue properly. If you can’t explain a product that a customer has an issue with, you may not be able to help them.
Overall, gaining first-hand experience like this is beneficial because it is a transferable skill.
Challenges
The first challenge that you might think of when thinking of customer service is angry customers. Understandably, dealing with an angry customer can be hard. Your goal is to keep their business, but when they show signs of frustration, that goal may become more difficult. One of the best ways to tackle this challenge is to learn how you can properly handle a scenario where a customer is angry. A tip to keep in mind for situations like this is reflective listening. Reflective listening aims to show a customer you’ve truly heard what they’ve shared. Often, an angry customer wants just that: to be heard.
Another challenge you might face in customer service is being overwhelmed. Depending on what type of customer service you work in, you may find yourself faced with several customers at once.
Knowing how to handle this situation can certainly be stressful. Who do you prioritize, and how can you do it effectively?
Types of Customer Service
The three major types of customer service positions are:
Many companies have a support email address; however, one study shows that 62% of companies don’t respond to customer emails.
By and large, a pro of email customer support is that it’s an easy way for customers to send their questions.
An advantage to customer service positions that predominantly use email is the ability to consider your response.
Phone support
The telephone is a customer service channel. This type of service differs from others because you’re speaking directly to a customer rather than written communication. Some companies have call centers, while other companies only have a handful of employees who answer customer calls.
This type of position may be appealing if you excel in verbal communication skills or improve them.
Chat
As technology advances, so does the way we practice customer service. A great example of this is a live chat feature on a website. If you’ve ever visited a website with a chat window pop-up, you’ve experienced live chat. This initial message is often automated, but when a customer responds to it, they are directed to a representative.
This type of position is appealing because it combines the live conversation aspect of phone customer service jobs with the written aspect of email support.
Customer Service Careers & Example Jobs
Customer Service Careers
Below, we’ve outlined four unique customer service careers with a brief job description and their estimated salaries.
Customer service representative
- Job description: A customer service representative interacts with and responds to customer questions regarding products or services.
- Estimated salary: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual wage in 2023 was an estimated $39,680*.
Call center employee
- Job description: The duties of this career are very straightforward; a call center agent is a customer service employee who works in a call center. Responsibilities include answering customer calls and researching solutions, using computers, or other resources.
- Estimated salary: PayScale lists the average salary for call center agents as $15.72 an hour or $32,630 annually*.
Technical representative
- Job description: A technical customer service representative works in the customer service department but primarily answers technical questions that a general representative may not know.
- Estimated salary: The estimated salary for this career is $19.85 an hour or $41,288 annually*.
Client relations associate
- Job description: Companies that interact with clients may have client relations or communications employees. The role of client relations is to educate clients about the company’s products and services.
- Estimated salary: The estimated salary of this position is $48,000 annually*.
Entry-Level Customer Service Jobs
The majority of customer service jobs are entry-level, perfect for newcomers to the field. Below, we list common entry-level customer service jobs to get your start.
Retail representative
- Job description: Retail representatives converse with customers, greet customers, prepare sales contracts, and maintain sales records.
- Salary: As of 2025, the average estimated salary for this position is $44,205*.
Office clerks or receptionists
- Job description: Office clerks and receptionists perform customer service duties and other clerical responsibilities, including answering telephones and filing records.
- Salary: The average estimated salary for this position is $43,630 annually*.
*Note: These salaries are estimated by compiling data from positions that fit these descriptions and exist across numerous industry verticals. Some industries might have higher average wages for customer service positions than others.
Customer Service Qualifications & Experience: What to Include on Your Resume
Customer Service Skills List: Skills to Feature on a Resume
General skills to mention on your resume include any related to the areas of customer service we covered. So, if you have decent professional communication or problem-solving skills, you should include them on your resume. Other skills to list include:
- Knowledge of any relevant software/programs. Examples of this are database platforms, Microsoft Word, Zoom, and more.
- Any relevant problem-solving skills you possess? This can even include any academic experience you might have.
- Ability to focus on specific goals when helping a customer.
- Experience or training in areas such as body language, tone, or active listening.
- Experience or skills that involve dealing with a surprise or unexpected scenario.
- Emotional intelligence with coworkers and/or customers.
Find the Perfect Customer Service Job For You!
There are tons of customer service careers to pursue; however, choosing the best one is daunting.
That’s why BestCompaniesAZ has put together a comprehensive list of the best employers in Arizona! We are dedicated to connecting great employers with talented job seekers. In the end, we help form long-term relationships and aid the growth of numerous careers.
If you’re making a career change to customer service, check out the best jobs with amazing employers in Arizona today! Your dream career might be just one click away.
Contact the team at BestCompaniesAZ today and learn more about current job opportunities with the best employers in Arizona!
