The department, team, or person within a company that offers instructions and support to people who have purchased your goods or services is known as customer service. Customer support can be provided via email, phone, chat, or even video call if you have the necessary personnel. It is a critical aspect of modern business—service, support, and customer satisfaction are vital to all businesses, from small start-ups to large corporations.
Customer service roles are evolving as a result of technological advancements. Although the US Bureau of Labor Statistics expects a 2% decline in job growth from 2018 to 2028, many customer service positions are evolving into more specialized roles unique to their industry. As it is becoming easier to connect with customers through smartphones or other mobile devices, these customer-facing positions ensure that a company and its customers, no matter how large or remote, retain a personal contact. As a result, the variety and skill set required of customer service representatives would expand.
Customer support skills are used by employees in these client-facing roles to address technical challenges, select a product, arrange an appointment, settle disputes, and more. As a result, expertise and education criteria are often different. The good news is that most customer service positions are entry-level, which means that many employers can train you if you have some primary soft skills like friendliness, professionalism, and bearing.
You only need a highschool diploma2 and a willingness to work with people from all walks of life for most customer service jobs. When many of these positions become more specialized, you might consider reading the job descriptions and learning some of the necessary technical skills (such as different types of software) to improve your chances of getting hired.
Despite significant shifts in the workplace as a result of the pandemic, the list of in-demand customer service positions in 2021 looks remarkably similar to that of last year. E-chat specialist, at number 8, is a new entry on the list, highlighting the widespread adoption of e-commerce and an increase in the demand for online customer service. As businesses continue to respond to the pandemic, a transition to digital and remote customer support is a major change we’re seeing around the industry.
For the second year in a row, customer service representatives top the list of in-demand customer support workers.
Customer retention specialists (also known as loyalty agents or retention agents) are extremely important to businesses, particularly those that deal with recurring billing, such as telecommunications.
The bilingual customer service agent retains the same role as the previous year. In all customer service employment, bilingualism, especially spoken English/French, is in high demand.
Some customer service professionals are more focused on B2B or big-ticket B2C transactions than inside sales members.
Customer service agents may work in call centers, but many of these jobs have moved to remote operations as a result of the pandemic.
In most customer service or call center activities, team leaders (or supervisors) are the first level of management.
Collection specialists are in charge of collecting money from consumers who owe them money.
An E-chat specialist is a recent addition to the list of high-demand customer service positions for 2021, coming in at number eight. That isn’t to say that they aren’t significant! Increased online purchases since the pandemic have increased the need for customer service professionals who can work remotely.
In Canada, a Customer Service Representative can expect to receive about 44,400 CAD per year. Salaries vary from 23,100 Canadian dollars (lowest) to 67,900 Canadian dollars (highest) (highest). This is the average annual wage, which includes lodging, transportation, and other perks. Salary for Customer Service Representatives varies greatly depending on experience, qualifications, gender, and place.
