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The differences between customer contact specialists and retention specialists 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 contact specialist and a retention specialist. Additionally, a retention specialist has an average salary of $37,175, which is higher than the $35,056 average annual salary of a customer contact specialist.
The top three skills for a customer contact specialist include outbound calls, inbound calls and powerpoint. The most important skills for a retention specialist are customer service, outbound calls, and powerpoint.
| Customer Contact Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $35,056 | $37,175 |
| Hourly rate | $16.85 | $17.87 |
| Growth rate | -4% | -4% |
| Number of jobs | 205,402 | 199,631 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Years of experience | 12 | 12 |
A Customer Contact Specialist interacts with customers in providing information in response to product and service inquiries. They manage and provide resolution to client complaints. They respond to customer queries accurately and in time through email or phone. Part of their responsibilities is to develop corporate reputation thru excellent customer service. Customer Contact Specialist also coordinates front-desk activities like redirecting phone calls.
A retention specialist is responsible for devising strategies to maintain a healthy relationship with clients. They are primarily in charge of negotiating and securing contract renewals, handling issues and corrective measures for customer satisfaction, utilizing feedback to improve services, and maintaining a healthy rapport to strengthen the client base. Furthermore, as a retention specialist, it is essential to perform calls and correspondence, keep records of all transactions, and coordinate with work-staff.
Customer contact specialists and retention specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Customer Contact Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Average salary | $35,056 | $37,175 |
| Salary range | Between $25,000 And $48,000 | Between $28,000 And $48,000 |
| Highest paying City | Quincy, MA | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Massachusetts | California |
| Best paying company | Deloitte | Adobe |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a customer contact specialist and a retention specialist in terms of educational background:
| Customer Contact Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 45% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | - | - |
Here are the differences between customer contact specialists' and retention specialists' demographics:
| Customer Contact Specialist | Retention Specialist | |
| Average age | 40 | 40 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 35.0% Female, 65.0% | Male, 37.0% Female, 63.0% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 10.3% Unknown, 5.7% Hispanic or Latino, 21.5% Asian, 6.5% White, 55.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8% | Black or African American, 11.4% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 20.6% Asian, 6.0% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.7% |
| LGBT Percentage | 7% | 7% |