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Customer associate vs customer service associate

The differences between customer associates and customer service associates can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a customer associate and a customer service associate. Additionally, a customer associate has an average salary of $32,989, which is higher than the $31,709 average annual salary of a customer service associate.

The top three skills for a customer associate include sales floor, product knowledge and customer service. The most important skills for a customer service associate are patients, sales floor, and plumbing.

Customer associate vs customer service associate overview

Customer AssociateCustomer Service Associate
Yearly salary$32,989$31,709
Hourly rate$15.86$15.24
Growth rate-4%-4%
Number of jobs191,027380,943
Job satisfaction-5
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Average age4040
Years of experience1212

What does a customer associate do?

A customer associate is responsible for providing the best customer service by assisting the customers with their inquiries and concerns, as well as resolving their complaints, processing replacements, and issuing refunds as needed. Customer associates also sell products and services to the customers, demonstrating product features, and identifying business opportunities to drive more revenues and profits for the business. They must have excellent communication and organizational skills to process orders and payments timely and accurately.

What does a customer service associate do?

Customer service associates are representatives of the company who are responsible for solving customer concerns. They provide exceptional service to clients to ensure that their problems are solved and that the relationship between the client and the company remains strong. Customer service associates are in-charge of processing transactions, maintaining a good working relationship between the client and the company, ensuring that the client remains loyal to the company, and working on the requests of the client. Through all of this, customer service associates must keep any information they may encounter confidential. They should also have time management skills, problem-solving skills, and customer service skills.

Customer associate vs customer service associate salary

Customer associates and customer service associates have different pay scales, as shown below.

Customer AssociateCustomer Service Associate
Average salary$32,989$31,709
Salary rangeBetween $21,000 And $51,000Between $24,000 And $40,000
Highest paying CityLos Angeles, CARichmond, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyUdemyFidelity Investments
Best paying industryTelecommunicationFinance

Differences between customer associate and customer service associate education

There are a few differences between a customer associate and a customer service associate in terms of educational background:

Customer AssociateCustomer Service Associate
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 43%Bachelor's Degree, 35%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common college--

Customer associate vs customer service associate demographics

Here are the differences between customer associates' and customer service associates' demographics:

Customer AssociateCustomer Service Associate
Average age4040
Gender ratioMale, 42.6% Female, 57.4%Male, 38.4% Female, 61.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 12.1% Unknown, 5.6% Hispanic or Latino, 19.9% Asian, 6.9% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 19.5% Asian, 6.6% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7%
LGBT Percentage7%7%

Differences between customer associate and customer service associate duties and responsibilities

Customer associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage product queries, process orders and deliveries of medical devices to NHS and private hospitals in UK.
  • Collaborate with management to train new employees on company policies and procedures and manage customer concerns via LiveChat.
  • Provide troubleshooting steps to service apple products.
  • Answer phones, operate POS and collect payments of cash, credit/debit cards and checks.
  • Job duties include not only calls, but faxing, copying, outlook, multitasking.
  • Require to have above average language skills, phone, negotiating, collaboration, persuasion, innovation.
  • Show more

Customer service associate example responsibilities.

  • Manage and calculate daily cash deposits and prepare daily payroll ledgers.
  • Manage cash balances and inventory stock accurately; ensure cleanliness of all work stations and guarantee excellent customer service.
  • Use excellent phone and customer service etiquette while navigating through multiple windows simultaneously.
  • Provide excellent customer service to hundreds of satisfy customers, bag groceries with speed and efficiency
  • Perform upselling on every call.
  • Train in flight emergencies, hazardous materials and CPR.
  • Show more

Customer associate vs customer service associate skills

Common customer associate skills
  • Sales Floor, 24%
  • Product Knowledge, 22%
  • Customer Service, 13%
  • Phone Calls, 7%
  • Customer Calls, 3%
  • Outbound Calls, 3%
Common customer service associate skills
  • Patients, 41%
  • Sales Floor, 12%
  • Plumbing, 10%
  • Quality Customer Service, 6%
  • Front End, 3%
  • CSA, 3%

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