How to hire an account executive/customer service

How to hire an account executive/customer service, step by step

Here's a step-by-step account executive/customer service hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an account executive/customer service job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new account executive/customer service
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the account executive/customer service you need to hire. Certain account executive/customer service roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An account executive/customer service's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, account executive/customer services from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of account executive/customer service salaries for various roles:

   Type of Account Executive/Customer Service	Description	Hourly rate
   Account Executive/Customer Service	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$9-55
   Customer Liaison	Customer liaisons are professionals who act as the focal point to deal with customer problems, questions, or concerns by coordinating with the proper company personnel to provide accurate answers for them. They are required to handle inbound calls to resolve immediate issues while providing excellent customer service to members... Show more	$14-51
   Customer Account Representative	A customer account representative's role is to serve as the primary contact between a company and its clients. They typically reach out to existing and potential customers through calls and correspondence, answer inquiries, address issues and concerns, close sales by offering products and services, process payments, and ensure satisfaction to boost sales and improve client base... Show more	$12-22

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Account Management
   • Business Development
   • Inbound Calls
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Customer Support
   • Troubleshoot
   • Outbound Calls
   • Customer Care
   • Billing Issues
   • Trade Shows
   • Logistics
   • POS
   • Customer Complaints
   • Sales Support

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage all customer inquiries through phone calls and emails and ensure appropriate assistance in compliance with company policies and procedures.
   • Verify insurance eligibility and benefits of patients that are being provide oxygen home and travel units and durable medical equipment.
   • Communicate with customers and FedEx to facilitate resolutions of any shipping or delivery issues.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your account executive/customer service job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An account executive/customer service can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, account executive/customer services' average salary in wyoming is 69% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level account executive/customer services 83% less than senior-level account executive/customer services.
   • Certifications. An account executive/customer service with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an account executive/customer service's salary.

   Average account executive/customer service salary

   $48,663yearly

   $23.40 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level account executive/customer service salary

   $20,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 17, 2026

4. Writing an account executive/customer service job description

   A good account executive/customer service job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an account executive/customer service job description:

   Account executive/customer service job description example

   This position is the primary field customer relations resource, for residential and commercial customers in an assigned territory. The geographic territory assignment will typically include 50,000 to 80,000 accounts, depending on customer density and other pertinent parameters. Incumbents in this position should demonstrate leadership abilities, and will generally be expected to manage select accounts within the territory under some supervision and guidance. The positon requires reactive response to customer and public inquiries, as well as proactive promotion of company marketing programs, products, and information.
   ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS are listed below:
   
   1.) Financial Responsibility - Exhibits ability of understanding rates and tariffs in order to provide billing options/explanations and tariff analysis to meet the customer's needs. Seek additional revenue and growth opportunities. Monitor customer delinquencies to reduce charged-off accounts. Demonstrate ability in preparing billing corrections to remedy inaccurate billings. Maintain accurate reporting records.
   
   2.) Technical Expertise - Possesses intermediate level knowledge and understanding of the distribution electrical system. Provide service reliability and power quality explanations to assigned customers. Demonstrates an understanding of meter technologies and applications.
   
   3.) Energy Management - Assist customers on the effective and economical use of electric energy, including energy management tariffs. Proactively meet with assigned customers and promote products and initiatives that support our company's strategic goals, and provide business related coordination or assistance to assigned customers. Exhibits ability in understanding the company's residential and business energy efficiency programs, and markets them proactively. Work closely with our energy efficiency program managers and the implementation contractors. Attend meetings, seminars, and webinars to enhance knowledge. Participate in company-sponsored marketing opportunities at trade shows and various community events.
   
   4.) Customer Relationship Management - With a moderate level of guidance and direction, serve as the company point of contact for customers in the assigned area, including managing the needs of larger accounts and municipalities. Demonstrates ability to balance the needs of the customer and the company. Practice the customer experience mindset. Be actively engaged in community involvement within the assigned territory. Work primarily with residential and small commercial customers.
   
   5.) Problem Solving and Initiative - Demonstrates ability in developing good problem-solving skills and coordinating concerns and needs between customers and other internal departments. Provide timely investigation, resolution and remediation of customer issues and complaints, with accurate documentation. Maintain compliance within Utility Commission's guidelines. Demonstrates ability to formulate analysis of high bill complaints and provide reasonable explanations to customers. With moderate level of direction, guide customer towards possible solutions, including energy efficient equipment and practices. Assist other departments with resolving access issues. Assist Engineering with coordination of new service requirements, such as load estimation, contract acquisition, and work as liaison between the customer and the company when needed.
   
   6.) Communication Skills ' Must present a professional appearance in representing the company at all times. Demonstrates excellent oral and written communication skills with internal and external customers. Exhibits effective documentation skills and possesses a working knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel. Demonstrates competency in presentation skills and willingness to assist with facilitating special projects. Gain experience in representing the Company in public forums.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find account executive/customer services for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your account executive/customer service job on Zippia to find and recruit account executive/customer service candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit account executive/customer services, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new account executive/customer service

   Once you have selected a candidate for the account executive/customer service position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new account executive/customer service first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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