How to hire a consumer service representative

How to hire a consumer service representative, step by step

Here's a step-by-step consumer service representative hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The consumer service representative hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a consumer service representative to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a consumer service representative that fits the bill.

   This list presents consumer service representative salaries for various positions.

   Type of Consumer Service Representative	Description	Hourly rate
   Consumer Service Representative	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$12-19
   Business Representative	Typically working as a member of a company's sales team, a business representative offers products and services to customers through appointments or calls and correspondence, securing sales and customer satisfaction. Among their responsibilities include answering inquiries, processing payments, assisting clients in filling out forms, negotiating contracts, developing sales strategies, researching new business and client opportunities, and producing sales reports... Show more	$17-35
   Bank Representative	A bank representative works to assist clients, aiming to provide optimal banking services and build positive client relationships. Their duties include greeting and identifying the clients' needs, answering inquiries, giving clear instructions, and discussing banking terms... Show more	$13-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Consumer Service
   • Customer Service
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Data Entry
   • Customer Inquiries
   • Inbound Calls
   • Consumer Inquiries
   • Medicare
   • Credit Card
   • Outbound Calls
   • Medicaid
   • Customer Support
   • Troubleshoot

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Educate veterans and the college community on veteran's benefits and academic requirements need to accomplish academic goals.
   • Hire on as a seasonal CSR for the holiday season.
   • Work independently as a telecommuter and serve as a CSR supervisor.
   • Enter online orders for consumers and store representative and troubleshoot all problems relating to them.
   • Work with Spanish speaking consumers to efficiently troubleshoot and resolve issues with their Nintendo products.
   • Demonstrate superb organizational and multitasking abilities

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your consumer service representative job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A consumer service representative can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, consumer service representatives' average salary in mississippi is 45% less than in colorado.
   • Seniority. Entry-level consumer service representatives 35% less than senior-level consumer service representatives.
   • Certifications. A consumer service representative 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 a consumer service representative's salary.

   Average consumer service representative salary

   $15.84hourly

   $32,944 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level consumer service representative salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 31, 2026

4. Writing a consumer service representative job description

   A consumer service representative job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a consumer service representative job description:

   Consumer service representative job description example

   The Consumer Service Operations Representative 2 is responsible for the daily activities across multiple service functions area. The Consumer Service Operations Representative 2 performs varied activities and moderately complex administrative/operational/customer support assignments. Performs computations. Typically works on semi-routine assignments.
   Responsibilities
   
   We are looking for motivated and highly driven career minded professionals that enjoy making a difference in others' lives. This rewarding role allows you the opportunity to engage our members over the phone by assisting in determining their eligibility for state and federal programs that can improve their wellbeing. The Consumer Service Operations Representative role spends time with our members, gathering personal and financial information required to complete state applications on behalf of the member. This role requires individuals to be great multitaskers, as you are inputting information captured by the member during the call and updating in the various systems we use daily. Although assisting members with completing the Medicare Saving Program application is our first objective, we also assist our members with locating additional resources to promote healthy living, like determining if they suffer from food insecurity, or/and need assistance with lowering the cost of their medications at their local pharmacy. If you enjoy utilizing your skills and experience to help those in need, this role is for you!
   
   At Humana, one of our core values is to inspire the health of others. We are looking for individuals who enjoy talking to others about their health while providing education, support, and encouragement to improve their wellbeing. We also desire, to cultivate the uniqueness of each of our associates as well as our members and are looking for individuals from various backgrounds to bring their expertise to the role. If you are looking to join a team of dynamic professionals, we welcome you to apply!
   
   The Consumer Service Operations Representative 2 may perform installation, implementation, client support, client services, client administration, customer service, enrollment and eligibility, claims processing, and call center operations.
   
   * Hours are Monday-Friday 10:40am - 7:10pm, with scheduled lunch and breaks
   * Position will be in-office for the first 6 months (101 E Main Street, Louisville, Ky 40202), with opportunity to go remote, based on performance, good attendance and demonstrated ability to thrive independently
   
   Required Qualifications
   
   * Bilingual English/Spanish, with ability to pass a Language Proficiency Assessment
   * years of customer service experience, including typing/data entry
   * Previous inbound and/or outbound call center experience
   * Excellent verbal, listening and written communication skills
   * Aptitude for quickly learning and navigating new technology, systems and applications
   * Proficient in Microsoft Office Outlook and Word
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   * Associate's or Bachelor's Degree
   * Previous healthcare experience
   
   Humana and its subsidiaries require vaccinated associates who work outside of their home to submit proof of vaccination, including COVID-19 boosters. Associates who remain unvaccinated must either undergo weekly negative COVID testing OR wear a mask at all times while in a Humana facility or while working in the field.
   
   Scheduled Weekly Hours
   
   40

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right consumer service representative for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with consumer service representatives they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit consumer service representatives who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit consumer service representatives, 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 to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 consumer service representative

   Once you have selected a candidate for the consumer service representative 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.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new consumer service representative. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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