It may be surprising to some but, by next June, growth within the customer service sector is expected to be among the highest of all occupations. Most customer service representatives need a High School Diploma to enter the field as well as strong verbal communication and listening skills. Of the 2.2 million currently employed customer service representatives, some 17 percent work part-time, or freelance. Customer Service professionals are employed by many different types of companies serving as a direct point of contact for customers. They are responsible for ensuring customers receive an adequate level of service or help with their questions and concerns. These customers may be individual consumers or other companies, and their service needs can vary considerably. In fact, the customer service industry is so expansive today that it is hard to find somebody who has not spoken with a customer service representative sometime in their lives.
Training requirements vary by industry. Almost all customer service representatives are provided with some training prior to beginning work. This training generally includes customer service and phone skills; information on products and services; information about common customer problems; the use of the telephone and computer systems; and company policies and regulations. Length of training also varies, but usually lasts at least several weeks. Because of a constant need to update skills and knowledge, most customer service representatives continue to receive training throughout their career. This is particularly true of workers in industries such as banking, in which regulations and products are continually changing. This training helps develop necessary work place skills that are helpful in all jobs giving customer service professionals valuable skills for future freelance positions.
Because customer service representatives constantly interact with the public, good communication and problem-solving skills are a must. Verbal communication and listening skills are especially important. For workers who communicate through e-mail, good typing, spelling, and writing skills are necessary. Basic to intermediate computer knowledge and good interpersonal skills also are important qualities for people who wish to be successful in the field.
The biggest perk of a customer service position is the opportunity to advance within the company/ industry. If you work hard at it, you can move up within the company into supervisory or managerial positions or into areas such as product development. Your part-time freelance work may easily turn into a budding career opportunity.
The freelance opportunities within the field, however, are not limited to working in a high rise office; many work from home. The advantages of such a move are obvious and with multiple companies already cutting off their offshore customer service, the demand for local representatives is high. In fact, most of those working from home earn better hourly rates than those working in a call center. Such an opportunity is perfect for stay-at-home parents or any freelancer looking for extra income. Moreover, use of a home phone for such a job may allow for large tax deductions come April.
Employment of customer service representatives is expected to increase 25 percent from 2006 to 2016, which is much faster than the average for all occupations. It will have one of the largest number of new jobs arise, about 545,000 over the 2006-16 projection period with excellent prospects. Some of the best at their jobs can earn upwards of 20 dollars an hour and look forward to probable advancement. Don’t expect to earn that much at first, especially on a freelance basis and you may need another full-time or part-time job on the side.
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Source: U.S. Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics
