Vervoe

Customer Service Assistant

Customer Service

Complete with job descriptions, skill profiles, and interview templates. Use this Customer Service Assistant hiring guide to help you make the right decisions, fast.

What does a Customer Service Assistant do?

A Customer Service Assistant is the first point of contact of a customer when making any form of communication to the company. The Customer Service Assistant is responsible for assisting the customer in their concerns, may it be purchasing a goods or service, asking for refund or exchange, making a complaint, or finding information.

Day to day tasks of a Customer Service Assistant

  • Ensure that customers experience a positive interaction.
  • Respond to customer’s inquiries or refer them to the appropriate department if applicable.
  • Provide information to solve the customers’ problems.
  • Handle complaints and escalate to superior if needed.
  • Maintain confidentiality of any records and documents of customers.
  • Handle all transactions with professionalism.
  • Schedule and arrange meetings and travel itineraries.
Recruitment guide role overview illustration

A Customer Service Assistant’s primary responsibility is to assist the customers in their concerns. Because the concerns vary, this person must be knowledgeable with the company’s products and services to be able to answer all the inquiries.

Role definition illustration

Customer Service Assistant Hiring Process

Build the Ideal Candidate Profile​

To find the best person for the role, you need to understand what the role involves. You can complete this with the hiring manager to define the role, its contribution, and the skills needed.

Write A Job Description Based On Skills

Once you understand the requirements for the role, you’ll need to understand the skills for success. You can then write an effective job description to promote your role.

Selecting The Ideal Candidate

See which applicants have the right skills for the role. Send all your applicants a Vervoe skills assessment from the expert library, or customize one for your organization.

Interview Top Performers

Your skills assessment results will identify top performers. Focus your time on interviewing those that have met or exceeded your requirements. Assessment results will also help guide which skill areas to focus on in the interview.

Making An Offer

Once you assess your candidates against these skills, you’re ready to offer the top performer(s). You should base your offer on the value that the candidate would bring to your team and your business as a whole. It is also important to ensure your compensation and benefits packages are competitive in the industry and help you attract and retain the top talent.

Customer Service sector illustration

Skills needed for a Customer Service Assistant

A Customer Service Assistant must be approachable and has good knowledge about the product and services. As the first contact of the customer, they should appear friendly and able to communicate well.

  • Communication
  • Adaptability
  • Active Listening

How to write a Customer Service Assistant 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 Assistant 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
Use our sample Customer Service Assistant job description
Job description checklist illustration

Sample skill tests for a Customer Service Assistant

Create a free account today to access the full assessment and more from our library

Question 1

Active Listener

Question Type: Audio

You are on the phone with a customer who is very irate and angry. What tactics could you use to calm the upset customer?

Question 2

Adaptability

Question Type: Text

Have you ever had to say "no" to a customer request? How did you handle the situation in order to preserve the relationship?

Question 3

Communication

Question Type: Text

Following on from the last question, how would you exemplify your idea of customer service in this role?

How to interview a Customer Service Assistant

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.

How much does it cost to hire a Customer Service Assistant?

The US average for a Customer Service Assistant is $33,004 according to Glassdoor.com, and $33,150 from Talent.com. The lowest recorded is at $28,850, and the highest can reach up to $43,898.

United States

Customer Service Assistant salaries in the United States range from $28,850 up to $43,898. Entry level positions start at the lowest rate while more experienced ones can be offered a higher rate.

Source: Source: Talent.com, Glassdoor.com

United Kingdom

Customer Service Assistant salaries in the United Kingdom range from £18,911 to £22,440 (GBP). The salaries depend on the location, years of experience, and the nature of business of the company.

Source: Source: Talent.com, Glassdoor.com

Australia

Customer Service Assistant salaries in Australia range from $53,000 (AUD) up to $64,331 (AUD). Entry-level positions can start at $44,160, and more experienced ones can make up to $93,807.

Source: Source: Talent.com, Glassdoor.com