BusinessHABThe Milling Room
The Milling Room: The Milling Room features seasonal locally-sourced American cuisine, served in a sky-lit dining room and lively tavern-inspired bar in the heart of the Upper West Side. Customer service agents talk to customers on behalf of companies and businesses.
They often answer questions, resolve problems, process sales and provide information.
Some customer service agents work in designated call centers, where they can field phone calls and respond to emails, and others work for specific companies such as banks, airlines, and insurance agencies.
Be a customer service agent by acquiring the necessary skills for the job and finding a position that is a good match for your talents and career goals.
Acquiring the Skills of a Customer Service Agent
Graduate from high school. Customer service agents are required to have a high school diploma or a GED.
Learn how to communicate effectively. Customer service agents are required to communicate regularly with the people a company does business with. You will need to speak clearly and professionally on the phone, in person, and through email.
The Milling Room
Gain experience with customers. While most customer service agents receive training on the job, knowing how to work with customers will help prepare you for work as a customer service agent.
- Work in a retail position. This will help you learn how to meet the needs of customers, process sales and returns, and deal with complaints and problems.
- Get a job in the service industry. Working as a waiter or a landscaper will be good practice in how to listen to customers and give them what they want.
The Milling Room
Learn to feel comfortable with sales. Not all customer service agents are required to sell products and services, but it might be part of your job.
- Talk to people and identify their needs. This will help you recommend specific products and services. Identifying needs and matching them to purchases will help you become a customer service agent.
Learn the components of conflict resolution. A customer service agent will need to be a problem solver. Know how to collect information and resolve the customer’s problem while staying within a company’s standards and procedures.
- Practice treating everyone with a friendly, calm and respectful demeanor. Part of your job will be to talk with people who are angry, irrational and rude. You will need to remain professional and diplomatic and know how to handle irate customers.
Getting a Job as a Customer Service Agent
Respond to job listings you find online and in your local newspaper. Sites that include companies hiring for customer service positions include CareerBuilder, Monster, SimplyHired and Indeed.
The Milling Room
Work with placement or career offices at your school. If you are a recent high school graduate, you might be able to get some guidance when it comes to job hunting. Community colleges often place their students with companies who are hiring as well.
The Milling Room
Look for a customer service position working from home. Many companies are reducing their overhead costs and allowing their customer service agents to do their jobs from home.
- Ensure you have the necessary equipment. You will need a computer with an Internet connection and a landline phone.
- Seek opportunities for virtual customer service jobs with companies such as hotel chains, home or online shopping networks, healthcare agencies, and other corporations.
The Milling Room
- Check general career search agents such as Monster.com and Indeed, and look for specialized sites that promote work at home positions and include customer service agent jobs.
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Expect shift work, depending on the type of company you are working for. Many customer service agents are required to work evenings and weekends.
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Think about your salary requirements. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for a customer service agent is $30,460 per year or $14.64 per hour.
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