What is a customer service assistant?
A customer service assistant is the primary point of contact between a business and its customers. They provide answers to customers’ questions and address the problems and complaints they have. They are responsible for assisting customers to do business with the organisation, such as making a purchase, placing an order, getting advice, or finding information.
How to become a customer service assistant?
You can take a college course before applying for a job. Courses are widely available and include:
- Level 1 Certificate in Customer Service
- Level 2 Certificate in Contact Centre Operations
You can also do a customer service intermediate apprenticeship or an advanced apprenticeship as a customer service specialist.
For the requirements, you’ll usually need:
- Some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
Customer service assistant duties
Customer service assistant duties are diverse and depend on the employer and specialty, but some responsibilities are common to most:
- Respond to customer calls and emails and answer questions about products and services
- Process orders and ensure they are fulfilled
- Handle customer complaints or concerns
- Maintaining an accurate Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database by entering and updating client information
- Providing quotations and checking product availability
- Handling payment transactions
- Resolving customer complaints and issuing refunds as needed
Customer service assistant skills
To be an effective customer service assistant, you’ll need certain skills and competencies. The following are often cited in job vacancies:
- Outstanding phone and email etiquette
- Exceptional communication skills
- Flexible
- The ability to work well under pressure
- Able to manage multiple accounts simultaneously
- Enthusiasm for the job
- A good understanding of the way the company works
- A willingness and ability to listen to and follow instructions
How to find a customer service assistant job
These jobs are advertised online, in local newspapers and at your local jobcentre. To find all the customer service assistant jobs near you, you need to:
- Search for customer service assistant jobs on popular job websites such as; Indeed, Total Jobs and CV Library
- Use the DWP’s Find A Job Service
- Check local newspapers and local Facebook groups, especially groups dedicated to local jobs
Customer Service Assistant Job Titles
When you search for customer service assistant jobs online, be aware that the jobs might be advertised using a different job title. Popular job titles for customer service assistant jobs include;
- Customer service representative
- Customer service adviser
- Customer experience assistant
What does a customer service assistant do?
The job of a customer service assistant varies depending on the job role and the company you’re working for. Check the duties and responsibilities of customer service assistant job advertisements to find jobs that best suit your skills and experience.
The day-to-day tasks of a customer service assistant include;
- Answer customers’ questions by phone, email or webchat, on social media, or face to face
- Give quotations and check product availability
- Sell products or services and take payments
- Handle complaints or pass them to a supervisor
- Add customer information onto a computer system
- Track orders and arrange deliveries