customer service officer.

Some of the core duties of the role include:

• answering customer questions: as a customer service officer, you receive phone calls, read emails and answer online queries from clients. Most customers contact the company to make inquiries or ask questions about the company's products. Your job is to have good product and service knowledge, and provide useful information on the company's procedures. For in-person visits, you direct customers to the right department and help them get the necessary help.
• escalating customer issues: if you cannot offer support yourself, you escalate customers' issues to the relevant support teams or departments. For instance, if the customer calls about a problem that requires a technical support agent, you escalate the problem to the available IT staff to ensure they receive proper assistance.
• recording customer interactions: you use customer relationship management software to manage client relationships. You should update the company's records with a client's buying history and interactions. For instance, you record the topics discussed and questions asked. If you recommend resolutions, note them down for future reference.
• processing customer requests: you process client requests by forwarding them to the relevant teams if, for example, a client calls about order cancellation or returns. You also inform customers of the fees or costs associated with the requests.
• assisting sales teams: you assist the sales teams in boosting sales by setting up appointments with potential clients and forwarding sales leads to field sales teams. You also follow up with the clients after the first meeting.
• sharing customer feedback with the management: you manage customer reviews and collect feedback that identifies areas for improvement. You should share the feedback with the management and respond to negative reviews by apologising or offering compensation.

Customer service officers work from an office, regardless of the industry, usually in the office's dedicated customer support area. Your tools of the trade are headphones and a computer. In most companies, you will work with a team, and you can easily escalate issues to different departments. The role doesn't involve travelling since you don't meet with customers outside the office premises. Customer service officers may work from home, especially those who offer live chat and social media support.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include administrators, customer support agents, sales representatives, sales assistants, sales administrators, and marketing executives. You might also be working close to bookkeepers and receptionists, as well as other specialists that could include, but are not limited to, service managers, marketing managers and sales executives.

The typical work schedule of a customer service officer is 40 hours a week in a full-time position. Most customer service officers work from Monday to Friday with occasional overtime hours. If your employer provides customer support around the clock, you will likely work shift schedules. Part-time work is also available. Some customer service officers work on short-term contracts.

A customer service officer is an entry-level position opening opportunities in various professions. You can progress to higher customer service positions like account manager or service manager. Some customer service officers become sales representatives or marketing executives. With more extensive experience, you can progress to managerial roles like sales or marketing managers.

Finding your customer service officer job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a customer service officer is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

As a customer service officer, you respond to queries and interact with customers daily through emails, phone calls and in person. As the first contact point between a client and the company, you should build a good rapport and help the client find what they need. You also deal with customer complaints and escalate difficult issues to the relevant departments.

Customer service officers earn an hourly or monthly salary based on experience and skill level. The median salary in the role is $60,000 annually, while entry-level workers take home $45,000 yearly. When you have extensive skills and experience, your remuneration package is over $65,000 per year. Aside from the base salaries, some employers provide additional incentives like bonuses and allowances.

As a customer service officer, you should be friendly and approachable to enable customers to ask questions comfortably. Being patient and polite even when handling demanding clients is also important. Since you communicate with customers, you require excellent communication and telecommunication skills. Phone etiquette shows your professionalism and provides a good image of the organisation you work for.

A customer service officer role is a fantastic career path. You can join the industry with minimal skills and experience. It also provides multiple opportunities for career growth. For instance, customer service officers can work in sales or marketing departments or progress to managerial roles in sales and customer service.

As a customer service officer, you are likely to work 40 hours a week from Monday to Friday. You work the traditional office hours in full-time positions. Part-time positions are also available.

Applying for a customer service officer job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our customer service officer job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.