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.
Technology Tools
Key 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.
- Resolve customers' service or billing complaints by performing activities such as exchanging merchandise, refunding money, or adjusting bills.
- 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.
- 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.
Skills
Knowledge
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Abilities
Work Activities
Work Context
Telephone Conversations
How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
100%
Contact With Others
How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
96%
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working indoors in an environmentally controlled environment (like a warehouse with air conditioning)?
96%
Deal With External Customers or the Public in General
How important is it to deal with external customers (as in retail sales) or the public in general (as in police work) in this job?
95%
Time Pressure
How often does this job require the worker to meet strict deadlines?
89%
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
88%
Importance of Repeating Same Tasks
How important are continuous, repetitive, physical activities (like key entry) or mental activities (like checking entries in a ledger) to performing this job?
86%
How frequently does your job require you to use E-mail?
83%
Dealing With Unpleasant, Angry, or Discourteous People
How frequently does the worker have to deal with unpleasant, angry, or discourteous individuals as part of the job requirements?
80%
Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions
How much does this job require making repetitive motions?
80%
Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team
How important is it to work with or contribute to a work group or team in this job?
76%
Spend Time Sitting
How much does this job require sitting?
75%
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
How much does this job require using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls?
75%
Frequency of Decision Making
How often is the worker required to make decisions that affect other people, the financial resources, and/or the image and reputation of the organization?
72%
Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results
What results do your decisions usually have on other people or the image or reputation or financial resources of your employer?
72%
Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities
How important is it to coordinate or lead others (not as a supervisor or team leader) in accomplishing work activities in this job?
65%
Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
How frequently does your job require face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams?
65%
Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals
How much freedom does the worker have in determining the tasks, priorities, or goals of the job?
59%
Conflict Situations
How frequently are there conflict situations the employee has to face in this job?
58%
Physical Proximity
To what extent does this job require the worker to perform job tasks physically close to other people?
56%
Spend Time Standing
How much does this job require standing?
56%
Freedom to Make Decisions
How much decision making freedom, without supervision, does the job offer?
51%
Duration of Typical Work Week
Number of hours typically worked in one week.
50%
Level of Competition
To what extent does this job require the worker to compete or to be aware of competitive pressures?
48%
Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers
How responsible is the worker for work outcomes and results of other workers?
48%
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable
How often does this job require working exposed to sounds and noise levels that are distracting or uncomfortable?
41%
Written Letters and Memos
How frequently does your job require written letters and memos?
39%
Health and Safety of Other Workers
How much responsibility is there for the health and safety of others in this job?
34%
Degree of Automation
How automated is the job?
32%
Consequence of Error
How serious would the result usually be if the worker made a mistake that was not easily correctable?
29%
Spend Time Bending or Twisting Your Body
How much does this job require bending or twisting your body?
28%
Spend Time Walking or Running
How much does this job require walking or running?
24%
Dealing with Violent or Physically Aggressive People
How frequently does this job require the worker to deal with physical aggression of violent individuals?
18%
Exposed to Disease or Infections
How often does this job require exposure to disease/infections?
17%
Public Speaking
How frequently does your job require public speaking (one speaker with an audience)?
16%
Spend Time Kneeling, Crouching, Stooping, or Crawling
How much does this job require kneeling, crouching, stooping or crawling?
13%
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
How often does this job require wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats or life-jackets?
12%
Exposed to Contaminants
How often does this job require working exposed to contaminants (such as pollutants, gases, dust or odors)?
11%
Exposed to High Places
How often does this job require exposure to high places?
11%
Pace Determined by Speed of Equipment
How important is it to this job that the pace is determined by the speed of equipment or machinery? (This does not refer to keeping busy at all times on this job.)
10%
Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings
How often does this job require exposure to minor burns, cuts, bites, or stings?
7%
Outdoors, Exposed to All Weather Conditions
How often does this job require working outdoors, exposed to all weather conditions?
7%
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous conditions?
6%
Work Schedules
How regular are the work schedules for this job?
6%
Exposed to Very Hot or Cold Temperatures
How often does this job require working in very hot (above 90 F degrees) or very cold (below 32 F degrees) temperatures?
5%
Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
How often does this job require working in an environment that is not environmentally controlled (like a warehouse without air conditioning)?
5%
Exposed to Hazardous Equipment
How often does this job require exposure to hazardous equipment?
4%
In an Enclosed Vehicle or Operate Enclosed Equipment
How often does this job require working in a closed vehicle or operate enclosed equipment (like a car)?
4%
Exposed to Extremely Bright or Inadequate Lighting Conditions
How often does this job require working in extremely bright or inadequate lighting conditions?
3%
In an Open Vehicle or Operating Equipment
How often does this job require working in an open vehicle or operating equipment (like a tractor)?
3%
Outdoors, Under Cover
How often does this job require working outdoors, under cover (like in an open shed)?
3%
Spend Time Keeping or Regaining Balance
How much does this job require keeping or regaining your balance?
3%
Exposed to Cramped Work Space, Awkward Positions
How often does this job require working in cramped work spaces that requires getting into awkward positions?
2%
Spend Time Climbing Ladders, Scaffolds, or Poles
How much does this job require climbing ladders, scaffolds, poles, etc.?
2%
Wear Specialized Protective or Safety Equipment such as Breathing Apparatus, Safety Harness, Full Protection Suits, or Radiation Protection
How often does this job require wearing specialized protective or safety equipment such as breathing apparatus, safety harness, full protection suits, or radiation protection?
2%
Exposed to Whole Body Vibration
How often does this job require exposure to whole body vibration (like operating a jackhammer or earth moving equipment)?
1%
Exposed to Radiation
How often does this job require exposure to radiation?
0%
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Some college, no degree
Associate's degree
Interests
Conventional
Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or hum
Enterprising
Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertis
Social
Work involves helping, teaching, advising, assisting, or providing service to others. Social occupations are often associated with social, health care, personal service, teaching/education, or religious activities.
Realistic
Work involves designing, building, or repairing of equipment, materials, or structures, engaging in physical activity, or working outdoors. Realistic occupations are often associated with engineering, mechanics and electronics, construction, woodworking, t
Investigative
Work involves studying and researching non-living objects, living organisms, disease or other forms of impairment, or human behavior. Investigative occupations are often associated with physical, life, medical, or social sciences, and can be found in the f
Artistic
Work involves creating original visual artwork, performances, written works, food, or music for a variety of media, or applying artistic principles to the design of various objects and materials. Artistic occupations are often associated with visual arts,
Work Styles
Work Values
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