Customer Service Representative Job Description & Salary

Customer service representatives answer questions, fix problems and process orders, refunds and account changes by phone, chat, email or in person. The job is measured: contacts per day, satisfaction scores (CSAT), first-contact resolution and handle time.

Duties vary by employer and shift, so always check the individual posting. Typical responsibilities:

• Answer inbound calls, chats and emails within service-level targets
• Look up accounts, orders and billing in CRM and order systems
• Resolve complaints and de-escalate frustrated customers
• Process returns, refunds, exchanges and account updates within authority limits
• Document every contact accurately for the next agent
• Escalate complex cases with complete notes
• Hit quality-assurance standards on scripts, compliance wording and tone
• Suggest add-ons or retention offers where the role includes sales

• High school diploma or equivalent; short-term on-the-job training (commonly 2 to 4 weeks, per BLS)
• Typing speed and accuracy (many centers test 35 to 55+ WPM)
• Comfort with CRM/ticketing systems (Zendesk, Salesforce, Freshdesk)
• Schedule flexibility: evenings, weekends and holidays are common
• Quiet workspace and reliable internet for remote roles

• Listening first, then solving
• Calm, kind de-escalation under pressure
• Clear written English for chat and email
• Multitasking across screens while talking
• Resilience across dozens of contacts a day

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median pay of $44,770 a year, $21.53 an hour (May 2025), for customer service representatives. Employment is projected to decline 5% from 2025 to 2035 as self-service grows, but about 289,500 openings a year are still expected from replacement needs, so hiring stays constant; bilingual, technical-support and escalation roles pay above the median.

Adjust every number to your own record before you use these:

• Handled 60+ contacts a day at 94% CSAT and 88% first-contact resolution
• Resolved billing disputes up to $2,500 within authority; recovered 320 at-risk accounts in a year
• Maintained 98%+ QA scores for 6 straight quarters
• Trained 12 teammates on the new ticketing workflow after piloting it

Browse live customer service jobs on Ethic Leaf's Business & Admin sector page, and see the Customer Service Representative resume example for a full sample resume. No service guarantees a job.

• What are the top skills for a customer service representative? Listening, de-escalation, clear writing, typing speed and system multitasking - plus the numbers that prove them (CSAT, resolution rate).
• Is customer service a good first job? Yes: it hires with no experience, trains fast, and the metrics you build (volume, CSAT) transfer to sales, support and operations careers.
• What is a good resume summary for customer service? One sentence with your volume, channel and score: 'Customer service representative handling 60+ calls and chats daily at 94% satisfaction.'