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Automotive service writer vs customer service specialist

The differences between automotive service writers and customer service specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both an automotive service writer and a customer service specialist. Additionally, an automotive service writer has an average salary of $46,879, which is higher than the $33,238 average annual salary of a customer service specialist.

The top three skills for an automotive service writer include repair orders, service appointments and phone calls. The most important skills for a customer service specialist are customer service, strong customer service, and cleanliness.

Automotive service writer vs customer service specialist overview

Automotive Service WriterCustomer Service Specialist
Yearly salary$46,879$33,238
Hourly rate$22.54$15.98
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs148,068223,323
Job satisfaction-4
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Average age4040
Years of experience1212

What does an automotive service writer do?

Automotive Service Writers act as a contact person between the customer and an automotive company. This person does estimations for clients and also help in drafting contracts. An Automotive Service Writer handles written orders for repairs. They receive and record request from clients and store it in a safe place. They are an essential part of the marketing department as it focuses on customer retention through constant, casual communication.

What does a customer service specialist do?

Customer service specialists are employees who are responsible for providing the best customer experience to customers, usually for after-sales transactions. They attend to customers' inquiries and provide answers to their questions on products or services that the company offers. They also address customer complaints and help mitigate the concerns by offering solutions such as instructions on how to fix defects, or processing replacements or refunds. Customer service specialists also listen to customer feedback and ensure that these are logged properly so that proper departments will be able to receive them.

Automotive service writer vs customer service specialist salary

Automotive service writers and customer service specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

Automotive Service WriterCustomer Service Specialist
Average salary$46,879$33,238
Salary rangeBetween $30,000 And $72,000Between $26,000 And $42,000
Highest paying CityNew York, NYBoston, MA
Highest paying stateNew YorkMassachusetts
Best paying companyState StreetDell
Best paying industryAutomotiveFinance

Differences between automotive service writer and customer service specialist education

There are a few differences between an automotive service writer and a customer service specialist in terms of educational background:

Automotive Service WriterCustomer Service Specialist
Most common degreeAssociate Degree, 31%Bachelor's Degree, 43%
Most common majorAutomotive TechnologyBusiness
Most common college--

Automotive service writer vs customer service specialist demographics

Here are the differences between automotive service writers' and customer service specialists' demographics:

Automotive Service WriterCustomer Service Specialist
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 77.4% Female, 22.6%Male, 32.0% Female, 68.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 20.5% Asian, 5.8% White, 57.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.6% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 20.0% Asian, 6.8% White, 55.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between automotive service writer and customer service specialist duties and responsibilities

Automotive service writer example responsibilities.

  • Manage the refurbishment of used vehicles, writing repair orders.
  • Recommend required service and repairs, educate customers on basic maintenance requirements for their Toyota product.
  • Provide excellent customer service to assist customers troubleshoot IOS devices for hardware and software issues.

Customer service specialist example responsibilities.

  • Work with customers/companies over the phone and helps troubleshoot technology/service issues while maintaining customer satisfaction in a large call-center capacity.
  • Mentore the team members and QA team for timely releases.
  • Monitor reports, compile reviews, and participate in QA calibrations.
  • Oversee management of social networking presence on Facebook, various travel relate blogs and utilizing various social listening tools.
  • Provide exceptional customer service to customers regarding MetLife products
  • Create PowerPoint presentations for forecasting of inventory requirements and overall changes in customer order volume.
  • Show more

Automotive service writer vs customer service specialist skills

Common automotive service writer skills
  • Repair Orders, 11%
  • Service Appointments, 10%
  • Phone Calls, 9%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • ADP, 5%
  • Automotive Services, 4%
Common customer service specialist skills
  • Customer Service, 19%
  • Strong Customer Service, 9%
  • Cleanliness, 7%
  • Front End, 7%
  • Cash Management, 7%
  • Customer Transactions, 4%

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