Customer Service Agent
Complete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this Customer Service Agent hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.
HOW TO HIRE A Customer Service Agent
What does a Customer Service Agent do?
Customer service agents give customers of your business a direct communication channel for inquiries and assistance. They will be the first point of contact to provide guidance and respond to a multitude of queries.
Day to day tasks of a Customer Service Agent
- Demonstrate the value of the brand and services at every customer interaction
- Respond to customers’ incoming calls and online enquiries, providing exceptional customer service at every interaction
- Deliver on KPIs and targets relating to customer excellence, retention, responsiveness, quality, and call handling
- Ownership of customer queries, delivering a first call resolution and highlighting potential repeat call drivers
Customer Service Agent definition
A Customer Service Agents’ primary responsibility is to provide customer service, resolve issues, and ensure customer satisfaction. Because of this, they require key skills that enable them to be able to connect with customers in a variety of circumstances.
HIRING PROCESS
Customer Service Agent Hiring Process
Build the ideal candidate profile
Skills needed for a Customer Service Agent
A Customer Service Agent must be customer-focussed and empathetic. Because each customer is different, a Customer Service Agent needs to have skills in resilience and learning agility. They must also have exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
- Conflict Resolution
- Active Listening
- Communication
Pro Tip
For entry-level roles, you’re likely to receive a larger number of applications than you would for a senior position. Ensure you provide details about what it’s like to work for your company, and what your company values are so applicants know whether your company is the right fit for them.
WRITE A JOB DESCRIPTION BASED ON SKILLS
How to write a Customer Service Agent job description
Once you’ve determined the skills required for the role, you can write the job description to advertise for your position. Here’s what to include in your Customer Service Agent job description:
Job Title: What position are you hiring for?
Summary: What makes your company unique? What would it be like to work for you?
Responsibilities: An overview of the role’s day-to-day activities, and how the position contributes to the organization
Requirements: Skills a candidate must have to perform the job successfully
Benefits: Details of compensation, benefits, and any perks on offer
Pro Tip
In building your candidate profile, remember you’ve already identified what skills are needed to succeed in the role. Here’s where to list your “must-have” skills and maybe a couple of “nice-to-have” skills. For example, a Customer Service Agent must empathize with customer’s concerns and problems, but it would be nice to have administration experience.
SELECTING THE IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sample skill tests for a Customer Service Agent
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Question 1
Communication
Question Type: Audio
You have an angry customer on the phone, and they’ve been on hold for quite some time. They recently bought a product from your business and it arrived faulty. After listening to their frustrations, how would you manage this call? Record your response to the customer in a brief audio recording.
Question 2
Conflict Resolution
Question Type: Audio
What would you do if a customer said you were taking too long to handle an issue?
Question 3
Active Listening
Question Type: Text
Listen to this audio and type out the relevant notes.
INTERVIEW TOP PERFORMERS
How to interview a Customer Service Agent
Once your Vervoe skills assessment has surfaced the most qualified people for your open role, you can focus on interviewing these candidates. The interview should focus on any skills that require development that were highlighted from the skills assessment.
Now you know that candidates can do the job, the interview becomes more of a relationship building exercise where you can get to know the candidate on a more personal level, understand their motivations, and how they would fit in with the team.
Making An Offer
How much does it cost to hire a Customer Service Agent?
The US average for a Customer Service Agent is $33,648 according to Glassdoor.com while the reported average salary on USNews.com amounts to $35,860. The best-paid 25 percent make $45,400, while the lowest-paid 25 percent make $28,760.
Customer Service Agent Salary United States
Customer Service Agent salaries in the United States range from $24,000 – $47,000 (USD). Customer Service Agent salaries in the U.S vary a lot depending on the industry and the nature of the enquiries that agents are taking, as well as the location.
Source: Glassdoor.com
Customer Service Agent Salary United Kingdom
Customer Service Agent salaries in the United Kingdom range from £17,000 – £24,000 (GBP). Customer Service Agent salaries in the UK vary a lot depending on the industry and the nature of the enquiries that agents are taking, as well as the location.
Source: Payscale.com
Customer Service Agent Salary Australia
Customer Service Agent salaries in Australia range from $43,000 – $64,000 (AUD). Customer Service Agent salaries in Australia vary a lot depending on the industry and the nature of the enquiries that agents are taking, as well as the location.
Source: Payscale.com
